In the recent past, society has become more plugged-in than ever. With the increasing utilization of gadgets, smartphones, iPads, tablets and the like, access to the Internet has become more convenient. In addition to this, wi-fi is easily available in most restaurants and coffee shops.

In line with this plugged-in environment, online shopping has become one of the growing trends in the community. Online shopping sites offer all kinds of merchandise, from branded goods, batik, electronics, gadget accessories and cosmetics to vitamins and supplements — you name it.

Although the vast majority of transactions are for low-risk and lower-priced merchandise, online shopping portals and social networks have ensured people stay attached to their gadgets even more. With busy day-to-day activities, not to mention traffic jams, online shopping is considered to be practical and is becoming a lifestyle choice for many. With just a click of a mouse, transactions occur, in
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This morning, Nielsen is putting hard numbers to how consumers like to shop with their smartphones, backing up trends we already suspected to be the case. In particular, the new report examines how consumers use their phones when shopping out there in the real world (what’s that?) – using phones to compare prices, scan barcodes and even redeem coupons. Not surprisingly, how you use your phone has a lot to do with where you’re shopping and what you’re shopping for, says Nielsen.

The trends are sort of obvious, but there are some interesting bits to be pulled out of the data.

For starters, mobile coupons are most popular at grocery stores, (41% of mobile shoppers said they used coupons there), department stores (41%), and clothing stores (39%). At electronics stores, the majority (73%) read reviews, compare prices (71%), and scan QR codes (57%).

It seems the higher the purchase price, the more likely it is that users will whip out
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