US holiday shoppers are increasingly turning to mobile devices to get a jump on Thanksgiving Day deals, Reuters reports. Younger shoppers, particularly those aged 18 to 24, are making purchases via mobile apps while spending time at home with their families.
According to Caila Schwartz, a consumer insights director at Salesforce, the historical pattern of consumers browsing on phones but completing purchases on computers is steadily disappearing. Retailers have enhanced mobile experiences by integrating streamlined payment options like Google Pay and Apple Pay, storing customer preferences, and personalizing product recommendations. Well, it’s convenient, isn’t it?Personally, I can’t let go of my desktop habit, so I very rarely shop on my phone, but that’s just me. Why? Well, I’ve got one word for you (actually, it’s two): “multiple tabs”.
Back to the report, though. Adobe Analytics projects mobile spending during November and December to hit an all-time high of $128.1 billion, marking a 12.8% increase from last year. Gen Z consumers are a driving force behind this shift, given their comfort with mobile shopping and price comparisons. Minkyung Kim, a marketing professor at Carnegie Mellon University, suggests their habits may influence other family members during the holiday season.
Mobile transactions, which include purchases made via smartphones, tablets, and laptops, are predicted to account for 53% of online spending this holiday season. This represents a significant rise from last year’s record of $113 billion. By late November, over half of online purchases were already made on mobile devices, up from the same period a year ago. During the first 24 days of the month, mobile shopping generated $39.9 billion in sales, a year-over-year increase of 13.3%.