Tue, 04/15/2014 – 09:18 by New smartphone user survey data from Thrive Analytics and the
Local Search Association (LSA) reinforce the now well-established idea that consumers will share location information in exchange for tangible rewards. We’ve seen this in our own survey work as well as that of other third parties (e.g., Swirl, OpinionLab).
The LSA study involved just over 1,000 US smartphone users. It was conducted in January.
Strinkingly the survey found that 97% of Gen Y, 91% of Gen X and 81% of “young Boomers” (under 53) used their smartphones at least sometimes while shopping in stores. Comparing prices and accessing coupons were the top two reasons.
Large majorities of each demographic segement (85%+) said that using smartphones in stores makes them smarter shoppers and helps them make buying decisions accordingly. The top four apps used in stores were “mobile search,” Amazon, Facebook (among younger users) and a barcode scanner such as RedLaser (eBay).
The top three motivations (in order) given for being willing to share location with retailers were the following:
- To gain loyalty points or rewards
- To receive an offer or deal
- To receive exclusive or personalized content
