Indian men shop on mobile more than women, Chinese rely on reviews: Draftfcb

The Mobile Shopper: A 2013 Draftfcb Global Shopper Snapshot is based on interviews with more than 7,500 consumers aged 18 to 64 in China, India, the US, UK, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

For China, the study also found that in urban areas, 56 per cent of the population shop via mobile. These shoppers are more connected than most, with 92 per cent going online several times a day or more on their phone and 60 per cent reading newspapers or magazines with their phones (almost double that of other markets). However, only 71 per cent use their phones to send emails—less than most other markets.

Because Chinese shoppers rely heavily on reviews, marketers and brands must be able to provide a forum for discussion, advised Charles Cook, global planning and research analyst at Draftfcb. “This is a large component of the mobile shopper experience in China—they do it three times as much as their counterparts in Brazil.”

Indian mobile shoppers seem to be even more attached to their mobile phones than their Chinese counterparts. Most (84 per cent) don’t think they could live without their phones—compared with the global average of 72 per cent; 82 per cent fear missing out if they don’t check messages right away; and 81 per cent rely on their phones to keep friendships alive.

“Mobile users in China and India have a strong connection with their phones and all of them see themselves using their devices more in the future, this is a large population and only set to get larger,” said Cook.

They are also more likely to be playing games on their devices than making calls, presenting brands with an opportunity to reach them in this space, suggested Cook.

Unlike the Chinese shopper, who is more likely to buy on the go, Indians shop mostly at work or at home. “This presents a different challenge than China, where marketers should always keep the on-the-move context in mind,” said Cook.

The two markets are also the most open to the mobile eWallet, with 45 per cent of Indians and 41 per cent of Chinese having used one—the highest globally, indicating a market that has leapfrogged traditional payment methods.

"Retailers must rethink how shoppers use and travel through stores,” said Tina Manikas, global retail and promotions officer. “As mobile shoppers continue to redefine shopping, they will also redefine pathways through the store, both online and brick and mortar.”