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How Consumers are Using Tablets Versus Smartphones
- 25 April 2013
If you have seen any of the recent coverage of 'tablets' (like the iPad) versus 'smartphones' (like the iPhone), as a food manufacturer you could be forgiven for thinking that you need to switch plans for developing on one 'platform' for the other.
Consider this from Mintel in a report on "m-commerce" (mobile-commerce):
"Increased uptake of tablet computers - and their user-friendliness for shopping - could inhibit growth in smartphone transactions in 2013 and beyond".
KitKat QR CodeWhile this might be true in general (indeed the term 'couch commerce' has been coined to reflect just how user-friendly they can be), tablets have a bit of catching up to do yet - Mintel estimate smartphone ownership in Britain at 62% compared to 24% for tablets. Furthermore, Mintel do recognise that the product category will impact how such devices are used; they report on a survey from November last year in which 21% of people who had bought groceries on-line had done so on a smartphone compared to 17% on a tablet. Other sources point to how the superior browsing experience on a tablet threatens the smartphone.
In common with this of the commentary concerns itself not just with consumers ordering items on either device, but indeed are often written with a retailer in mind rather than a manufacturer, probably of branded products, who wants to communicate with consumers or give them access to supporting promotions.
Some American experience might be instructive as to how things might evolve for manufacturers. An e-tailing Group report sponsored by Oracle reports 30% of tablet owners claim to use their tablet in-store (remarkably consistent with another study) which could threaten the role of the smartphone. Nevertheless, 29% of them do admit that they almost always have their phone with them, but not their tablet. Another study by Deloitte in the US reports 61% of their respondents using their smartphone while shopping in store.
Previous articles have pointed to how some companies are delivering information on their products specifically designed for the smartphone platform. So it still has potential to be an important source of information for the consumer in-store, so don't scrap the budget for that smartphone 'app' or mobile web site - yet!
Source: BordBia - How Consumers are Using Tablets Versus Smartphones
