Mobile's Impact On New Product Purchases By Moms Rises 26 Percent Over 2013, According To BabyCenter U.S. Mobile Mom 2014 Report: Small Screens' Big Influence on Moms' Path to Purchase

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile devices are increasing their role in moms' lives across the board when it comes to shopping, especially with regard to purchasing new products, according to the BabyCenter® U.S. Mobile Mom 2014 Report: Small Screens' Big Influence on Moms' Path to Purchase, the latest installment in BabyCenter's 21^st Century Mom® Insights Series. BabyCenter, the number one pregnancy and parenting web and mobile destination worldwide, conducted the study, which reveals a significant uptick (26 percent) in mobile's influence on moms buying new products and testing new brands, rising from 47 percent in 2013 to 59 percent in 2014.

With moms on the go, smartphones in hand, the study finds that a majority (79 percent) use their mobile device specifically for shopping while in-store. Of those who shop in-store with their phones, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) said they used their phone to comparison shop while in a mass retailer, 35 percent in a supermarket or grocery store, and 22 percent in a discount wholesaler.

When asked which types of products they shopped for in the past six months using their mobile phone, moms cited clothing, shoes, and accessories as the top category (54 percent), followed by toys, books, and games for children (43 percent), and food and beverage (38 percent). The latter category, including grocery shopping overall, also was a significant spark for another type of smartphone use by moms – mobile couponing. More than 1 in 3 mobile-shopping moms (34 percent) said they used their mobile devices for coupons while purchasing groceries.

Coupons also proved to be a key feature in mobile advertising, according to the study's findings. Nearly three-quarters of moms polled (72 percent) stated that the inclusion of a coupon was the most appealing feature in mobile advertising, marking a 36 percent jump in this opinion compared to 2013, when just 53 percent of moms said that coupons were important in garnering their interest in a mobile ad. Other factors that moms called out include:

• Knowing that the deal was located at a store nearby (30 percent)
• The ability to scan a barcode for more information (23 percent)
• GPS pinpointing to know they are close to a store with the advertised deal (23 percent)
• How-to videos showing use of the product (21 percent)

Each also saw an increase in interest year-over-year, with the GPS ability receiving the highest jump at 64 percent over last year's 14 percent. The digital video feature was very close behind, showing a 62 percent bounce over 2013 findings at 13 percent.

"Black Friday may be around the corner, but these findings prove that marketers and retailers need to be focused on mobile all year round," said Julie Michaelson, Vice President of Sales, BabyCenter. "Moms are becoming more savvy about leveraging their smartphones while shopping, and advertisers need to follow suit. Mobile is no longer a 'good to have' but a 'must have' when it comes to reaching Mom while she's considering what, when, and where to buy."

Besides using mobile for in-store purchase decisions, moms are also shopping on-device, although they express a greater comfort level buying small ticket items on their phones. (Travel, however, is the exception to that rule.) Shopping apps are a popular way for moms to buy products on mobile devices. When asked to share their favorite shopping app, moms chose Amazon, Target Cartwheel, and Retail-Me-Not as their top three. 

The complete BabyCenter U.S. Mobile Mom 2014 Report: Small Screens' Big Influence on Moms' Path to Purchase is available for download at http://www.babycentersolutions.com/docs/BabyCenter_2014_US_Small_Screens_Influence_On_Moms_Path_To_Purchase.pdf

Methodology
Fielded in July 2014, the U.S. Mobile Mom 2014 Report polled 1,118 U.S. women age 18 to 49, with a mean age of 32. All participants were either pregnant or mothers of children up to 18 years old. After answering a question on smartphone ownership to determine the percentage who owned a smartphone, only smartphone owners were allowed to complete the rest of the survey.

About BabyCenter® LLC
BabyCenter® is the voice of the 21st Century Mom® and modern motherhood. It's the number one pregnancy and parenting digital destination worldwide, reaching more than 40 million moms monthly in 11 languages across 14 owned and operated properties from Australia to India to China. In the United States, 7 in 10 babies born last year were BabyCenter babies. BabyCenter is the world's partner in parenting, providing moms everywhere with trusted advice from hundreds of experts around the globe, friendship with other moms like them, and support that's remarkably right at every stage of their child's development. BabyCenter also works with some of the world's most prominent brands and institutions to provide life-stage marketing solutions and a direct line to highly engaged moms. BabyCenter established a Global Giving Program and partners with esteemed organizations to help make motherhood safer for all women. BabyCenter is a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.

SOURCE BabyCenter

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