According to the BRC’s Google Online Retail Monitor for Q4 2011, one in five Christmas retail searches were carried out on mobile devices. Total retail search volumes grew 24% in the fourth quarter compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The increase was driven by a rise in mobile/tablet search volumes, which grew by 169% year-on-year – on Christmas Day alone, mobile/tablet searches accounted for 26% of overall retail searches.
Pre-Christmas searches peaked on 4th December for mobile/tablet devices, and a week earlier, on November 30th, for all online retail searches. On mobile devices, searches grew fastest for homeware products, up by 189% year-on-year.
Stephen Robertson, BRC director general, says: “For a fourth successive quarter, the number of retail searches from smartphones and tablets has nearly trebled compared with the previous year. Hard-pressed consumers are searching more for bargains and using technology to seek out the best offers. The significant growth in searches from countries such as Brazil and Russia shows the opportunities presented by emerging economies. For many retailers, tapping into these booming consumer markets is an increasingly important strategy for growth.”
