Klarnas’ latest consumer research also revealed preferences for mobile shopping and payments.
Mobile reigns supreme in the hands of consumers, who use it not only to shop but while they’re in stores to research and compare prices on products as well as to buy items using payment apps. Consumers also share product pics on social media — and with apparel, to get fashion feedback from friends and family.
In its latest consumer research, Klarna said 68 percent of U.S. shoppers “use their mobile devices to research products while shopping in a physical store.”
The research also revealed a mobile-first consumer who prefers one-time virtual cards (also known as electronic cards) over plastic. “Virtual cards are becoming a more popular payment method for online purchases,” the company said in its report. “Half of the users see them as a more convenient and safer alternative to their physical equivalents.”
The consumer behavior experts at Klarna noted that as consumers return to shopping in stores, “the vast majority (92 percent) of respondents worldwide said they would use their devices in-store to help them secure the best deals or price promotions.” But there is also a desire for a more integrated solution.
“While consumers have heavily embraced apps, they are seeking out integrated services that remove the need to switch between multiple apps,” the report stated. “Gen Z and Millennials feel most strongly about this, with three in four in favor of an all-in-one shopping app and 70 percent of people across regions expressing a preference for multipurpose replacements.”
Overall, Klarna found that mobile shopping is on the rise, and is primarily driven by younger audiences. The research showed that 68 percent of U.S. consumers polled “say they are shopping more often now with their mobile phones than just two years ago, with eight in 10 mobile shopping within the last 12 months.”
Klarna said 79 percent of Gen Z and 77 percent of Millennials are mobile shopping more often now as compared to two years ago. Shoppers are also embracing shopping apps with a “less-is-more mentality,” the company said, adding that 94 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed have shopping apps installed on their mobile phones. “However, most consumers (82 percent) use fewer than five apps each week, and 72 percent would prefer to have one single app that incorporates all of the features of the shopping apps they currently use.”
Raji Behal, head of U.S. partner success at Klarna, said shoppers are “increasingly mobile-oriented when it comes to how they shop and engage with the brands they love. They are not just using their phones to shop online – they’re also using them in-store to research products, search for price comparisons, and more.”
“This preference towards mobile is driving significant behavioral changes among consumers, who can access the world at their fingertips and are therefore demanding greater convenience and flexibility while shopping,” Behal said. “This is particularly true within the U.S. market, which – according to our research – is the only country where consumers are more likely to prefer shopping on mobile over computers.”
Klarna’s Mobile Shopping Report polled more than 13,000 consumers across 13 countries.
