Shopping on a smartphone is now a major source of revenue for retailers, but many of the final sales made on phones are actually researched on a tablet or PC.
According to a study from Barilliance, 59% of smartphone purchases were researched on a smartphone. But 41% were not: 31% started from browsing on a PC, and 10% originated from looking around on a tablet. While the majority of smartphone sales originate on the phone itself, researchers have now determined that consumers are actively using other devices before making a purchase.
For transactions made on a tablet, 79% started on that tablet and 16% came from browsing on a PC. Only 5% of the purchases were the result of shopping on a smartphone.
In the case of purchases made on a PC, the vast majority of them originated on that device. 95% began on a PC, while 3% came from browsing on a tablet and the remaining 2% came from browsing on a smartphone.
As we begin to merge into the era of the fablets (large phone almost the size of tablets), we may see a rise in smartphone purchases that start on the phones themselves. For now though, it seems that many buyers are still looking to larger screens to compare prices and products online.