Close to one-third of adults who own smartphones or tablets expect to use them for holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day, according to a survey by Digitas — but the mobile shopping experience still lags behind computers  in ease of use.
Digitas found that mobile devices will play a pivotal role in Turkey Day shopping, with 28 percent of people planning to shop via their wireless device even before Black Friday begins the traditional retail holiday frenzy. That figure is nearly double last year’s, when only 16 percent had planned to shop on their wireless device during Thanksgiving Day. Twenty-nine percent of tablet and smartphone owners expect to use their mobile device for shopping sometime during the holiday season — but among the 18-34 age set, that figure rises to a whopping 40 percent.
The online survey was conducted in early November among more than 2,000 adults.
“Our findings reinforce that mobile is not just another channel. It’s a technology-driven cultural phenomenon that is changing how people are connecting to brands and commerce,” said Chia Chen, senior vice president, Mobile Practice Lead, with Digitas. “With more consumers shopping on their devices, brands are being provided with more mobile movements to address and create impact — even during a time of turkey, football, and family.”
In fact, 22 percent of college students in the survey said they were likely to decline a Thanksgiving meal invitation if they knew that they wouldn’t be able to use their wireless devices while there.
Many brands have revamped their mobile presence or launched new applications to snag mobile shopping traffic on Black Friday and beyond. However, Digitas’ survey revealed that even though customers want to shop on their mobile devices, they have frustrations with the experience.
Of those in the survey who had used their mobile device for shopping, 76 percent said it was easier to do so via computer. Only eight percent said the experience was easier via mobile, and 16 percent said there was no difference between the two.
