Holiday shoppers check prices on their mobile devices before making in-store purchases

(Yuri Arcurs)

More than 50 percent of consumers in 11 different countries turned to their mobile device to compare in-store prices, check online product reviews, or to find online coupons and discounts before purchasing a product during the 2009 holiday shopping season.

On January 11, Motorola Inc. Enterprise Mobility Solutions, published the results of their annual research study of holiday shoppers. The survey showed that mobile shopping technologies are significantly changing the way mainstream consumers make purchasing decisions.

Shoppers are turning to their devices to actively compare product prices with those found on the internet and other locally-based retailers, reading product reviews written by their peers and searching for coupons and discounts to appease their wallets.

"By utilizing mobile technologies, consumers have become empowered, better informed and more critical shoppers," said Frank Riso, senior director of retail solutions, Motorola Enterprise Mobility Solutions.

Sixty-four percent of shoppers aged from 18 to 34 used their mobile phones to help them make the right purchase decision during the 2009 holiday shopping season, said the survey.