Survey Confirms That Mobile Barcode Scanning is Going Mainstream This Holiday Season

NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:  A recent poll distributed by Scanbuy on Twitter and Facebook shows how consumers are utilizing mobile barcodes while shopping over the holidays.  It revealed that there is significant interest in using mobile barcodes while shopping. More than half of those surveyed scanned a barcode, with 57% scanning at least once, 40% of those consumers scanning a mobile barcode five or more times, with an additional 40% stating they've never scanned a barcode before, but would like to.

Other key findings include:

• An overwhelming 97% of consumers found mobile barcodes useful in some capacity, with only 3% finding them "not very useful"
• Price comparison was the most popular feature for consumers while shopping, with user reviews and specific product offers also getting strong interest
• More than half of consumers said they'd most likely scan a barcode to look up prices online, but some also like getting information without finding a sales clerk
• Over 60% stated they are most likely to scan barcodes (UPC and QR) from product packaging
• The iPhone was the device most used by respondents, with 34% of those surveyed saying that was the device they used. BlackBerry and Android were right behind at 29% and 27% each, respectively.

According to Mike Wehrs, CEO and President of Scanbuy, "The fact that 40% of those surveyed scanned a barcode five or more times, with an additional 40% interested in scanning in the future, shows the immediate interest and long-term potential that mobile barcodes have in the field of retail. They can be utilized by consumers and retailers both to make for a truly valuable shopping experience. These results also show that there is a wide variety of useful content we can provide that will help educate a shopper and assist in closing a sale wherever the shopper may be."

In line with the previous statistics released by Scanbuy since Black Friday, consumer use of mobile barcodes on the ScanLife platform has remained on average at 50% more than the pre-holiday run rate. With most consumers surveyed stating interest in trying mobile barcodes and finding the technology useful, consumer usage of mobile barcodes will likely continue to grow even after the holidays as mobile users become accustomed to the convenient and easy access to information that the technology provides.  

WHO:  Scanbuy is the leading global provider of mobile barcode solutions that use the camera phone as the link between the physical world and the digital world. The ScanLife solution consists of a multi-barcode reader application and interoperable Code Management Platform. The technology has been successfully deployed and supported by leading mobile providers and handset manufacturers in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Italy and Denmark. Media companies and marketers use the solution to create and manage measurable 2D barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement onto mobile devices.np For more information on Scanbuy, please visit www.scanbuy.com or www.scanlife.com.

WHERE:  For more details on the survey results or to speak with a Scanbuy executive, please contact Kathrine Dela of Global Results Communications at (949) 608 0276 or [email protected].

SOURCE Scanbuy