Mobile first: Airship research flags impact of cost-of-living crisis on UK consumer shopping behaviours

Faced with soaring inflation, 80% of consumers in the UK now regularly use their smartphones to access stored loyalty cards and coupons while shopping in physical stores, compared to 79% for the US, 73% for France and 72% for Germany.

A report commissioned by Airship, and conducted in partnership with Sapio Research, surveyed more than 11,000 people globally.

Among ten ways consumers use smartphones while shopping in physical stores, it was their use of the retailer’s app that saw the most year-over-year growth, going from 65% to 74% of respondents.

For UK bricks and mortar shoppers, tapping mobile devices to compare prices and access the retailer’s loyalty card and coupons increased the most year-over-year (+8pts), followed by use of the retailer’s app (+7pts).

Three-quarters of British shoppers are likely to visit the retailer’s website while shopping in-store and 72% are likely to use the brand’s app - a narrow gap considering apps must first be downloaded to smartphones.

77% are also likely to compare prices on Amazon or Google before making an in-store purchase.

“Today’s consumers are increasingly turning to mobile apps from their favourite retailers to score deals, gain special access and improve their overall customer experience, particularly while shopping at bricks and mortar stores,” says Thomas Butta, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Airship.

“As marketing budgets are pinched and consumers face economic pressures, retailers need greater agility to create and optimise valuable app experiences that grow customer understanding and reward them individually, making life easier and better for everyone involved.”

47% of Brits say what motivates them most to opt in to receive brand communications on their smartphones are earning immediate discounts or loyalty points, and receiving personalised offers based on their browsing behaviours and past purchases — both of which increased +9pts compared to last year.