Users of Apple’s iPhone smartphones and its iPad line of tablets accounted for 92% of all mobile purchases made thus far in December, a recent study by eCommerce company RichRelevance found. That figure is up from April 2011 when a similar study conducted by the firm found that Apple’s iOS devices accounted for 88% of non-desktop online shopping. Beyond being more frequent shoppers, RichRelevance also found that iOS users are bigger spenders than their Android counterparts — the average purchase made from an iOS device was $123 in December while the average Android-originated mobile purchase amounted to $101. Both iOS users and Android users top those who shop from desktop PCs, as they spent an average of just $87 per order in December according to the company. Overall, RichRelevance found that shopping from mobile devices has doubled from 1.87% of all online shopping to 3.74% over the past nine months.

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Just Another Manic Monday: $1.1 Billion in Green Monday U.S. Online Spending Ranks Behind Two Preceding Mondays as 3rd Heaviest Day of the Holiday Season

19 Percent Y/Y Gain on Green Monday Outpaces Current Season-to-Date Growth Rate

RESTON, VA, December 14, 2011 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 42 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date through December 12, $26.8 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 11) reached a record $6.1 billion in spending, in line with the season-to-date’s 15-percent growth rate. Monday, December 12, known as “Green Monday” (the second Monday in December when online spending has historically tended to peak), reached $1.13 billion in spending, representing a 19-percent increase versus last year, and ranking as the third heaviest spending day of the season after Cyber Monday ($1.25 billion) and Monday, December 5 ($1.17 billion).

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 12	$23,269	$26,820	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Week Ending Dec. 11	$5,308	$6,113	15%
Green Monday (Dec. 12)	$954	$1,133	19%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 13, 2010)

“Green Monday was another exceptional day for the online holiday shopping season, posting more than $1.1 billion in sales with a growth rate of 19 percent versus last year,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Green Monday also kicks off what should be the heaviest week of the year for online shopping, where we could see several billion dollar spending days, punctuated by Free Shipping Day on Friday, December 16. It is interesting to note that for the past three years, Cyber Monday sales have exceeded those on Green Monday, demonstrating the degree to which retailer promotions and consumer awareness have grown the popularity of the Monday after Thanksgiving Day as the day to be buying online. That online holiday spending growth has remained well into the double digits throughout all the key days of the season also underscores the clear strength of the e-commerce channel.”

Top Growing Online Retail Categories for Season-to-Date

For the holiday season-to-date (through Green Monday), Digital Content & Subscriptions ranks as the fastest growing online retail category with a growth rate more than double that of the online sector as a whole. Jewelry & Watches, a luxury goods category, has seen a strong resurgence as the second fastest growing category this season. Consumer Electronics, led by tablets and flat panel TVs, ranks third, followed by Video Games and Computer Software. Each of the top 10 gaining categories is growing at least the rate of total retail e-commerce growth.

Top Growing Online Retail Categories vs. Corresponding Days in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Rank	Retail Category
1	Digital Content & Subscriptions
2	Jewelry & Watches
3	Consumer Electronics
4	Video Games
5	Computer Software (excl. PC Games)
6	Toys
7	Sport & Fitness
8	Computer Hardware
9	Apparel & Accessories
10	Event Tickets

U.S. consumers have spent close to $25 billion so far this holiday season, up 15% from the same period last year, according to a new report from comScore. The research group studied holiday shopping trends beginning in November and found that $479 million was spent on Thanksgiving Day, $816 million was spent on Black Friday, $886 million was spent during Thanksgiving weekend and a record $1.25 billion was spent on Cyber Monday. That wasn’t the only record broken this year, however. “Monday, December 5, 2011 now ranks as the second heaviest spending day in history at $1.18 billion,” the report said, “followed by Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at $1.12 billion and Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at $1.11 billion.” Read on for more.

ComScore expects that December 12th, otherwise known as “Green Monday,” will also be a successful sales day. “The most recent week of the online holiday shopping season saw growth rates remain in line with the season-to-date at 15 percent and three individual spending days eclipse the $1 billion threshold,” comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said. “These highlights represent another very positive sign for the holiday shopping season, as the week following ‘Cyber Week’ often experiences relative softness in spending momentum due to retailers pulling back on their promotional activity. As we enter what will be the heaviest week of the season for online retailers – beginning with ‘Green Monday’ on December 12 – all signs are now pointing to a strong finish to the season.” ComScore’s full press release follows below.

U.S. Online Holiday Spending Approaches $25 Billion for the Season, Up 15 Percent vs. Year Ago
Upcoming “Green Monday” (Dec. 12) to Contend with Cyber Monday for Heaviest Online Spending Day of the Year

RESTON, VA, December 11, 2011 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 39 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $24.6 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 9) reached $5.9 billion in spending, an increase of 15 percent versus the corresponding week last year, with 3 days surpassing $1 billion. For the holiday season-to-date, six individual days have surpassed the billion dollar threshold, led by Cyber Monday at $1.25 billion.

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 9	$21,405	$24,622	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Week Ending Dec. 9	$5,149	$5,925	15%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 10, 2010)

“The most recent week of the online holiday shopping season saw growth rates remain in line with the season-to-date at 15 percent and three individual spending days eclipse the $1 billion threshold,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “These highlights represent another very positive sign for the holiday shopping season, as the week following ‘Cyber Week’ often experiences relative softness in spending momentum due to retailers pulling back on their promotional activity. As we enter what will be the heaviest week of the season for online retailers – beginning with ‘Green Monday’ on December 12 – all signs are now pointing to a strong finish to the season.”

“Green Monday” Leads the Way for Online Holiday Shopping

The term “Green Monday” was coined by eBay in 2007 to describe the Monday occurring around the second week of December, which has tended to be the heaviest (or among the heaviest) online spending days of the year. Over the past six holiday shopping seasons, “Green Monday” has consistently ranked among the top spending days of the season, ending the year as the top-ranked spending day twice (2005 and 2007) and the second-ranked spending day three times (2006, 2008 and 2010).

“Green Monday” U.S. Online Spending: 2005-2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Year	Date	Spending	Rank for Season
2005	Monday, December 12	$556	1
2006	Monday, December 11	$661	2
2007	Monday, December 10	$881	1
2008	Monday, December 15	$859	2
2009	Monday, December 14	$854	5
2010	Monday, December 13	$954	2

“We know that Green Monday will rank among the top online spending days of the season, but it’s hold on the #1 position may be slipping somewhat over time,” added Mr. Fulgoni. “One possible reason is that as Free Shipping Day (Friday, December 16 this year) gains in importance each year, online spending during the heaviest week of the season is being more evenly distributed throughout the week, whereas in the past there was a much higher concentration of spending during the early part of the week.”

Top Ten Heaviest Online Spending Days on Record

Since comScore began tracking e-commerce spending in 2001, seven individual shopping days have surpassed $1 billion in spending. To date, Cyber Monday 2011 (Nov. 28) ranks as the heaviest online spending day in history at $1.25 billion. Leading off this most recent week of the holiday season, Monday, December 5, 2011 now ranks as the second heaviest spending day in history at $1.18 billion, followed by Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at $1.12 billion and Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at $1.11 billion. Cyber Monday 2010 (Monday, November 29, 2010) rounds out the top five at $1.03 billion. The only day from 2009 to make the list is Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at $913 million, the heaviest spending day of the 2009 season.

Ten Heaviest U.S. Online Retail Spending Days on Record (thru Dec. 9, 2011) Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Date	Spending in Millions ($)
1	Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 (Cyber Monday)	$1,251
2	Monday, Dec. 5, 2011	$1,178
3	Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011	$1,116
4	Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011	$1,107
5	Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 (Cyber Monday)	$1,028
6	Wednesday, November 30, 2011	$1,025
7	Thursday, December 8, 2011	$1,024
8	Monday, Dec. 6, 2010	$943
9	Friday, Dec. 9, 2011	$917
10	Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009	$913

 

As connected devices continue to proliferate in the United States and around the world, a new study suggests Apple’s iOS products are the three most widely used mobile devices in two key markets: the United States and the United Kingdom. Mobile ad network JiWire on Tuesday released its latest Mobile Audience Insights Report, which offers data on various market trends in the third quarter of 2011. In both the U.S. and U.K., JiWire found that the most widely used connected devices between July and September were Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Smartphones powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform following in the No.4 spot in both regions, but they are oddly all lumped together whereas other entries in JiWire’s top-10 charts are listed by device, not platform. Read on for more.

Despite a 42% share in the U.S. and a 51% share in the U.K, Apple’s iPhone lost usage share sequentially in both markets, as did the iPod touch. The iPad gained 3% in the third quarter compared to the second quarter in the U.S., and it gained just over 2% in the U.K. The most widely used non-Apple device in the U.S. last quarter was the BlackBerry Torch according to JiWire’s data, and the HTC Desire S was the most used non-Apple device in the U.K.

Tablet usage grew to 37% in the third quarter, up from 32% in the second, and smartphone usage grew from 58% to 62% over the same period. Laptop usage dipped from 90% to 79%. Among those surveyed by JiWire, 25% intend to purchase a new smartphone in the next six months, 24% intend to buy a tablet within six months and 16% plan to purchase a laptop.

Additional charts follow below, along with JiWire’s full press release.

New Trends in Location and Mobile Data Unveiled in JiWire Mobile Audience Insights Report

66 percent prefer to make a purchase in a physical store when within a five-mile radius 

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 6, 2011 - JiWire, the leading location-based mobile media company reaching the on-the-go audience, today announced its latest Mobile Audience Insights Report, which examines connected-device adoption, location- and mobile-shopping trends, as well as check-in behavior and public Wi-Fi trends. This quarter’s report uncovers several key emerging trends in the location and mobile markets that include the following:

• Proximity Marketing – 66 percent prefer to purchase in a physical store within a five-mile radius.
• Tablet adoption continues – Tablet usage is up 84 percent since Q4 2010.
• Checking-in – Consumers are split evenly between liking, disliking and not interested.
• Mobile Device Trends Adoption – iPad, Android and Windows Mobile 7 gain market share in the U.S and U.K.

Mobile Shopping Behavior & Proximity Marketing Trends

In the midst of the U.S. holiday shopping season, the study looks at mobile-shopping behaviors between genders and also highlights consumer attitudes toward shopping online versus in store. Male consumers surpassed female consumers in the shopping department – 73 percent of males make purchases on their mobile devices compared to 61 percent of females.  A consumer’s proximity to a store significantly influences purchasing behaviors as well.  Sixty-six percent of consumers prefer shopping for a $50 dollar item at a regularly visited store if within 5 miles; however, when the same consumers are 20 miles outside of the same store, 72 percent prefer making purchases on their laptop and mobile devices. Other findings include:

• 18 percent are using a connected device to actually make purchases even when physically in the store.
• 28 percent of respondents said they comparison shop on a mobile device when in a store.
• 63 percent of consumers prefer to shop both in store and online; 22 percent prefer to shop exclusively in store.

“The retail experience remains critical.  While consumers are increasingly using mobile to research and make purchases, we are seeing that the in-store shopping experience is equally if not more important, even with a tech-savvy audience,” said David Staas, senior vice president of marketing at JiWire.  “This holiday season, brands have a great opportunity to not only leverage digital and mobile, but also execute ‘clicks-to-bricks’ approaches to drive in-store traffic, utilizing location and proximity to deliver the right advertising experience.”

As people continue to become increasingly mobile and strive for constant connectivity, mobile-device habits have shifted from larger devices like laptops to smaller, more portable devices like smartphones and tablets. Tablet usage has nearly doubled in the past year, growing by 84 percent since Q4 2010. Since last quarter, tablets and smartphones are showing relative growth in usage while other devices like netbooks and laptops have remained stable or declined. Tablet usage is up 20 percent, smartphone usage is up 24 percent and by comparison, laptop usage is down 10 percent. Other key findings include:

• Consumer purchase intent is 50 percent higher for smartphones and/or tablets compared to laptops over the next six months (25 percent versus 16 percent), continuing to accelerate the shift in device ownership.
• Adults 24 years old and under are more likely to purchase a smartphone and/or laptop in the next six months while adults between the ages of 25 and 44 are more likely to purchase a tablet.

Tablet Adoption Continues, Fueling Mobile Commerce

Since inception, tablets continue to gain popularity with on-the-go consumers, having nearly doubled in growth over the past year. The study determined that the tablet audience is very comfortable making purchases on their device, purchasing items more frequently than just smartphone owners, and often spending more. For example, 82 percent of the tablet audience is willing to make purchases directly on their mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) compared with 76 percent of smartphone owners.  Other purchase preferences include the following:

• 67 percent of tablet owners are willing to spend $50 or more, compared to 57 percent of smartphone owners and 52 percent of laptop.
• Electronics, retail, entertainment and travel are the most frequently purchased categories, with tablet owners leading all of these categories in terms of purchase frequency. 

Location Media:  Consumers Remain Split on Value of the Check-In

Despite all the attention and focus on checking in, the jury is still out when it comes to consumer attitudes around this component of location media. In fact, consumers are split three ways; 35 percent feel positive toward it, 35 percent either do not like it or understand it, while 30 percent do not care about checking in. Additionally, the primary drivers of this trend appear to be among males. For example, 39 percent of males claim that they “like” or “love” checking in while only 30 percent of women feel that way about checking in. Not surprising, the most popular check-in categories are restaurants, hotels, pubs/bars and health clubs.

Mobile Device Trends and Adoption

In Q3 2011, the iPad, Android and Windows Mobile 7 continue to gain market share not only in the U.S., but in the U.K. as well. Likewise, market share continues to decrease when it comes to the iPhone and iPod Touch – in the U.S. and U.K.

Additionally, the U.S. and U.K. both saw a drop in market share with the iOS, but in both cases, it still holds the No. 1 ranking.

Online spending during the week ending on December 2nd totalled nearly $6 billion according to comScore, setting a new single-week record. The market research firm on Sunday released its estimates for online spending so far during the holiday shopping season, and it is reporting significant year-on-year increases across the board. Total spending between November 1st and December 2nd is up 15% over 2010 to $18.7 billion and Cyber Week spending also grew 15% to approximately $6 billion. Online shopping on Thanksgiving day grew 18% to $479 million, Black Friday sales online were up 26% to $816 million and Cyber Monday sales grew 22% to $1.3 billion. ”Cyber Monday kicked the week off with a bang as consumers opened their wallets to the tune of $1.25 billion, but it was only the beginning of a very strong week of online holiday spending,” comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement. “Tuesday and Wednesday followed with billion dollar spending days, helping Cyber Week reach a record weekly total of nearly $6 billion in spending.” ComScore’s full press release follows below.

$6 Billion in ‘Cyber Week’ U.S. Online Spending Sets New Weekly Record as Three Individual Days Surpass $1 Billion Threshold

Free Shipping Incentive Used on Nearly Two-Thirds of Online Transactions During Most Recent Two Weeks

RESTON, VA, December 4, 2011 – comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 32 days of the November – December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $18.7 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week saw three individual days eclipse $1 billion in spending, led by Cyber Monday, which became the heaviest online spending day on record at $1.25 billion. Tuesday, November 29 reached $1.12 billion, while Wednesday, November 30 reached $1.03 billion. These three billion dollar spending days currently rank as three of the four heaviest online spending days in history (with Cyber Monday 2010 being the other).

2011 Holiday Season To Date vs. Corresponding Days* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
	Millions ($)
	2010	2011	Percent Change
November 1 – December 2	$16,257	$18,697	15%
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24)	$407	$479	18%
Black Friday (Nov. 25)	$648	$816	26%
Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 26-27)	$886	$1,031	16%
Cyber Monday (Nov. 28)	$1,028	$1,251	22%
Week Ending Dec. 2	$5,164	$5,959	15%

*Corresponding days based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 3, 2010)

“Cyber Monday kicked the week off with a bang as consumers opened their wallets to the tune of $1.25 billion, but it was only the beginning of a very strong week of online holiday spending,” said comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. “Tuesday and Wednesday followed with billion dollar spending days, helping Cyber Week reach a record weekly total of nearly $6 billion in spending. As the deals from this week expire, it will be important to see the degree to which consumers return to the same retailers to continue their holiday shopping, thereby helping improve retailers’ profit margins, or if we experience a pullback in consumer spending – which has occurred in previous years – before promotional offers and spending intensity pick back up in earnest around mid-December.”

Free Shipping Surges to Record Levels

One of the most prevalent holiday season promotions used by online retailers is free shipping, which typically peaks around the Cyber Monday period. comScore’s analysis of the incidence of free shipping used for online retail transactions shows that this incentive is being used at record levels over the first few weeks of the holiday season. Throughout the 2011 holiday season, more than half of all transactions have included free shipping with rates increasing later into the season. The week of Thanksgiving (week ending Nov. 27) saw free shipping occur on 64.4 percent of transactions, while Cyber Week has maintained a similar level at 63.2 percent. In each case, these rates were approximately 10 percentage points higher than last year.

Weekly Holiday Free Shipping Analysis vs. Corresponding Weeks* in 2010 Non-Travel (Retail) Spending Excludes Auctions and Large Corporate Purchases Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore, Inc.
Week Ending	Percentage of Transactions with Free Shipping
	2010	2011	Point Change
11/6/2011	41.8%	52.2%	+10.4
11/13/2011	44.7%	51.2%	+6.5
11/20/2011	50.2%	56.0%	+5.8
11/27/2011	55.0%	64.4%	+9.4
12/4/2011**	52.2%	63.2%	+11.0

*Corresponding weeks based on corresponding shopping days (November 2 thru December 5, 2010)
**Data based on partial week of data thru Dec. 2, 2011

“Free shipping is one of the most important incentives that online retailers must provide during the holiday season to ensure that shoppers will convert into buyers,” added Mr. Fulgoni. “Consumers have come to expect free shipping during the holiday promotion periods, and retailers, in turn, have realized that they must offer this incentive if they want to maximize their share of consumer spending – especially at the outset of the shopping season. In fact, more than three-quarters of consumers say that free shipping is important to them when making an online purchase, and nearly half say they will abandon their shopping cart at checkout if they find free shipping is not being offered.”

The Importance of Free Shipping to Online Shoppers

As part of comScore’s annual holiday shopping survey of consumers, approximately 1,000 Internet users were asked about the importance of free shipping to their online purchase decisions. More than one-third of respondents (36 percent) indicated that free shipping was “very important” and that they would not make a purchase without it, underscoring the imperative for retailers to offer this incentive during the holidays. An additional 42 percent said that free shipping was “somewhat important” and that they actively seek out free shipping deals. Only 15 percent of respondents indicated that free shipping was not particularly influential in their purchase decision.

Q: “When making a purchase online this holiday season, which of the following statements best describes how important free shipping is to you?” November 29-December 1, 2011, n=1,013 Total U.S. – Home & Work Locations Source: comScore 2011 Holiday Survey
Response	Percentage of Respondents
Very important – I will not make a purchase without it	36%
Somewhat important – I actively seek out free shipping deals	42%
Neither important nor unimportant – I would like to find it, but do not require it	12%
Somewhat unimportant – free shipping has very little effect on my purchase decision	1%
Very unimportant – I will make my purchase regardless of shipping costs	2%
Don’t know/not sure	6%

Despite its cost to retailers, free shipping also has a couple of important benefits to online retailers. First, it tends to generate higher average order values, which helps retailers to at least partially offset lower margins. Second, this incentive has for four years had its own marketing event – ‘Free Shipping Day’ (Friday, December 16 this year) – when thousands of merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve, and in past years Free Shipping Day has helped bolster online spending activity later into the season. Last year’s Free Shipping Day, for example, was the third heaviest online spending day of the year at $942 million, representing a dramatic 61 percent increase over the corresponding shopping day the previous year

What are consumers planning to buy on Black Friday? Computers and tablets, according to data compiled by Mashwork, which gathered data from thousands of Twitter users. 18% of consumers discussed buying computers and tablets, 17% want to buy DVDs, music and video games, 16% are most interested in shoes, 14% will buy clothes, 12% want to buy a new television and 9% are planning to purchase a new cell phone or camera. The remaining 14% are planning to purchase items outside of those categories. The most talked about item among all of those categories is a pair of black Air Jordan Cement 3s, followed by the PlayStation 3, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console and Kinect accessory, Call of Duty: MW3 and the iPhone 4S. Read on for more information, including the full infographic.

Mashwork’s infographic also suggested that the iPad will be much more popular than the Amazon Kindle Fire on Black Friday, at least until people begin talking more about Amazon’s new tablet on Twitter. “For every 10 times the iPad 2 is talked about in relation to Black Friday, the Kindle Fire is mentioned just once,” Mashwork said.

In another sample taken from 100,333 tweets, 46% of shoppers said they are planning to buy goods for themselves on Black Friday. 36% are planning to buy for others and 18% are planning to purchase items for both themselves and others.

Walmart will be the busiest store, a survey of 2,158 tweets found. 21% of Black Friday shoppers plan to visit the national retail outlet, followed by Best Buy (20%), Target (13%), Macy’s (11%), Amazon.com (10%), Kmart (9%), Kohls (9%) and Nordstrom (7%). Gender does not appear to have a major role, either. In a sample size of 1,676 tweets, 53% of those planning to purchase goods on Black Friday are men while 47% are women.

Black Friday is shaping up to be huge for consumers shopping on mobile devices this year, and it looks like consumers shopping for mobile devices will be abundant as well. A new survey conducted by Retrevo.com found that Black Friday bargain hunters will be on the look out for tablets more so than any other gadget next Friday. Among those polled, 32% said they would be hunting for a Black Friday deal on a tablet this holiday season. 25% of respondents said they would scout for deals on HDTVs, 24% said they would be looking for deals on laptops and 19% plan to hunt for deals on smartphones this Black Friday. Read on for more.

“Would you get up at four o’clock in the morning to get a deal on a tablet or laptop computer?” Retrevo wondered in a post on its blog. “Apparently there are plenty of bargain hunters who plan of braving the elements this Black Friday to buy electronic things. Although we don’t expect to see too many doorbuster deals on iPads or even other tablets, it’s at the top of the bargain hunter’s list this year.”

When asked about the one gadget respondents would most like to receive as a gift this holiday season, tablets dominated yet again. Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle Fire were tied atop the list, each having been named by 10% of those surveyed. Smartphones filled the No.2 spot with 9%, HDTVs were mentioned by 8% of respondents and laptops and digital cameras were tied with 6%. Only 4% of those polled said that an Amazon Kindle eReader was their ideal gift.

You are not alone if you walk into brick and mortar stores to check out a product only to turn around and buy it online later. According to a new study from Retrevo, 66% of all shoppers and 78% of smartphone owners “look at a product in a store” and then purchase the product online from a different outlet. Consumer electronics stores are taking the biggest hit; 58% of smartphone owners decide to buy products first spotted in a store online. Retrevo suggests that is because consumers feel overwhelmed with the amount of products on display. 53% of the respondents who walked into a retail electronics store could not decide what to buy. 30% of those shoppers said it was because they did not have an adequate amount of information on the products they were searching for and sales staff were of no help. Smartphones could help save stores such as Best Buy, however. 42% of shoppers use their phones to check prices while in store, 25% use smartphones to find coupons and 29% read reviews and product specs on their phone. Retrevo suggests that a carefully crafted application that provides access to the aforementioned information could help consumers stay in stores instead of heading home and buying goods online.

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The advent of online shopping changed the retail industry forever, but many consumers are still not willing to shop for consumer electronics online despite potential cost savings. New data from market research firm The NPD Group shows that while nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers use the Internet to research consumer electronics purchases, only about half go on to purchase electronics online. ”It’s not surprising to see that so many consumers won’t buy TVs, smartphones, and other popular CE products online, despite using the Internet to perform basic product research,” said NPD analyst Stephen Baker in a statement. “Computers and other IT products have a much longer history online with a wider variety of outlets, including direct sales from manufacturers, for consumers to choose from.” The firm found that computers and computer software where the most popular online purchases for consumers, with 34% of NPD’s 1,326-person study saying they would make such purchases online. Televisions were the least likely online electronics purchases, with only 19% of respondents saying they would buy a TV online. The NPD Group’s full press release follows below.

The NPD Group: Consumers Still Reluctant to Purchase Traditional Consumer Electronics Online

According to NPD’s new “E-commerce and Consumer Electronics: Online Shopping & Purchasing” report, 63 percent of consumers consult the web first when researching electronics but only half of all consumers end up making the purchase online

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., September 15, 2011 — According to a new report from The NPD Group, a leading market research company, even as the incidence of Web-shopping increases, many U.S. consumers remain reluctant to purchase certain consumer electronics (CE) products online, even after using the Web to find out more about them. NPD’s “E-commerce and Consumer Electronics: Online Shopping & Purchasing” report reveals that televisions are the fourth most-likely item that consumers research online prior to purchasing (56 percent); however, it’s the least likely electronics product that consumers would actually purchase online (19 percent). Smartphones also showed a much higher level of research versus buying online: while 52 percent of consumers would seek out information about smartphones on the Web, just 23 percent could imagine themselves going online to purchase one. In contrast more people (66 percent) do both their research (66 percent) and expect to make an actual purchase (34 percent) online for PCs then for any other CE device.

“It’s not surprising to see that so many consumers won’t buy TVs, smartphones, and other popular CE products online, despite using the Internet to perform basic product research,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for NPD. “Computers and other IT products have a much longer history online with a wider variety of outlets, including direct sales from manufacturers, for consumers to choose from.”

Top consumer electronics products consumers were “extremely” or “very likely” to purchase online, included the following:

• Computer software | 34%
• Computer | 34%
• eReader | 32%
• Digital Camera | 30%
• Computer accessories/peripherals | 30%
• Tablet computer | 29%
• Printer | 24%
• Smartphone/mobile phone | 23%
• Camcorder | 21%
• Blu-ray player | 21%
• Home audio | 20%
• Television | 19%

“Part of consumers’ unwillingness to purchase certain electronics online might be due to a lack of awareness, or as a result of the slow pace taken by many traditional CE companies establishing a direct-to-consumer buying presence on the Web, or it could be something inherent in the products themselves, such as price or complexity,” Baker said. “Whatever the cause, the result is a badly skewed online sales mix that relies heavily on a narrow range of products, and one that doesn’t adequately address some of the more exciting growth opportunities.”

According to Baker, “retailers continue to have an edge with consumers, when they can leverage their physical storefronts with a strong online presence.” In fact more than three quarters (76 percent) of all consumers say they have used a retailer’s website to research a potential purchase, compared to just 62 percent for manufacturer-direct shoppers and 65 percent for online-only shoppers. Reinforcing consumers comfort with a multi-channel approach to gathering information, NPD’s data shows that using retailers’ stores and websites are among the top five activities consumers do first, when they begin to consider purchasing consumer electronics.

Information in NPD’s “E-commerce and Consumer Electronics: Online Shopping & Purchasing” report is based on online surveys fielded in June 2011 to a representative sample of 1,326 panelists from NPD’s online panel. Results were balanced to represent the U.S. adult population.

In a note to investors Monday, JP Morgan analyst Imran Khan wrote that online shopping during the holiday season is up 22% so far this year compared to the same period in 2009. Khan cites a Chase Paymentech survey of 50 online retailers as his source. Online shopping during the same period in 2009 was up 15% compared to 2008, so this year’s positive trend is good news for Amazon.com and other popular online retailers. Khan also noted that the heaviest days for online holiday shopping have historically been December 15th through the 21st.

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There is no denying it, the world is going mobile. People across the globe are turning to internet connected devices and to help them communicate, organize, work, play, and, of course, search. In a blog post, search giant Google noted that mobile searching is up 130% year-over-year on its network. The article, which is promoting seller ratings for mobile, goes on to cite a study that states 59% of holiday shoppers plan to use their mobile device to “facilitate holiday shopping.” One this is certain, if/when NFC takes off, mobile devices will be doing more than facilitating purchases… they’ll be doing them.

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Gaming giant Nintendo recently announced that during Black Friday week, U.S. consumers purchased a combined 1.5 million DS and Wii gaming systems. Holiday shoppers scooped up nearly 900,000 DS units and over 600,000 Wii consoles during the popular shopping debacle period. “U.S. shoppers bought about 9,000 Nintendo hardware systems nonstop for every hour of every day during the week of Black Friday,” said Nintendo of America’s president. Sales of Wii consoles were up slightly while sales of the DS portable gaming system fell slightly from the same period last year. Regardless, the numbers are still very impressive.

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Like Foursqure, Apple’s new app update will allow users to perform location based check-ins. Unlike Foursquare, Apple’s new app will actually be useful. The service in question, dubbed Concierge, allows iOS users to wirelessly check in at Apple Store locations and enter into a queue for service. Concierge is a dedicated app on Apple Store employee devices, while the service has been added to Apple’s already available Apple Store app for customers. Customers will receive push notifications asking if they would like to check in upon entering an Apple Store location. The service then provides information such as wait time and position in queue. While Concierge won’t do much to shorten wait times at Apple’s crowded retail store, at least iOS users will now get a better idea of what they’re in for.

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Fresh out of Google Labs is yet another application that Google can add to its growing Android library and embed on future phones. This time we have Google Shopper, a shopping application that utilizes Google’s online shopping data and allows Android users to search this vast repository using text, voice, barcodes, and photo scans of book and media cover art. Once your product of interest has been identified, detailed, and priced, it can be saved to your history, added to your favorites, and shared with your friends using the obligatory social networking integration. Android owners can snag the application from the Android market for free and use it as an excuse to go to the mall and spend some hard earned cash. Though we’re not exactly sure why this wasn’t just incorporated into Google’s Goggles application — seems pretty redundant to us.

[Via Android and Me]

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Guest post by a “connect” in the wireless industry.

Absolutely dread going to your location wireless provider’s store and having to be social? If it’s one of your worst nightmares, hopefully this will help you change that. Here are a few tips that might help you get a better deal on a phone and keep the hurt off your wallet. After all, if you’re like us… you’ll be buying a new phone every 6 months anyways.

Do:

Buy at the end of the month or during bad weather. It’s funny, but the best time to buy a phone  is at the end of the month. Every store has a quota to hit and the sales reps are a lot more tempted to make a good deal if it’s the end of the month. They’ll most likely be offering better discounts to try and get those final sales for their quota. Also, on days when the weather is really bad, the store has probably been slow most of the day and the reps are bored. We’re not kidding. They’ll want to talk to you and want to sell you something. The sales reps have probably made nothing in terms of money for that day and they’ll be eager to try and make a deal for you.

Take the features:

Use them as a bargaining tool. This is a great way to get extra discounts or deals on a phone. Tell the rep you’ll sign up for the data plan (if not already required based on the phone like a smartphone) plus insurance and other extra features if they’ll cut you a small deal on the equipment. ARPU (Average Revenue Per Unit) is always a huge goal for managers and employees, and it adds a large amount to our commission check. You can always take these features off (if they’re not contracted like the smartphone data plans) if you don’t use them. Just know that most wireless carriers require features to be active for a certain amount of time or else the representative won’t get the commission from it.

Also, try to find a rep that is passionate. It might seem like common sense, but we can’t tell you how many people just enter the store and mosey on over to any boring dope and expect greatness. Look for a rep that looks happy to be there. That rep will most likely be an upfront person and be detailed on equipment and plan pricing. If the rep is trained well enough, he or she will know about other carrier’s pricing and plans as well, making this much easier on you.

Ask the representative to be blunt and honest — telling your rep from the get-go to be straightforward and to-the-point will save both of you a lot of trouble. They’ll get the job done faster and you’ll get the info you’re asking for without all the corporate mumbo-jumbo that they’re supposed to shove in your head.

Plus, if you don’t already have a phone in mind, ask the representative what phone they use. If they’re carrying it, it’s most likely a decent phone. Most likely.

Sales reps can usually budge on the equipment pricing, accessories, or waiving activation fees depending on whether you’re at a corporate store or an indirect dealer. But something they can’t do is budge on the plan pricing; that’s something no one can adjust — only the retention department over the phone can.

If you see a better price at another store or online, ask for a price match. This requires a print out of the ad that you saw, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t care, or don’t come prepared. Corporate stores can only price match in this fashion, too. Buying at a corporate store versus a 3rd party store (Costco, Sam’s Club, Radio Shack) has its benefits such as better trained employees and usually original/more encompassing warranties.

Don’t:

Don’t threaten to leave your carrier if the representatives you’re talking to don’t give you a good deal. Sales reps know your contract length and they know you aren’t going to pay that $200 ETF to get little Timmy off your plan and into an iPhone because they won’t give you $50 off that dumbphone he wants. Things like telling them that you’ve been with them for 10+ years and you deserve 5 BlackBerry Bolds for free will only frustrate the poor guy. When it comes to equipment cost, the amount of years you’ve been with a carrier as a customer doesn’t mean too much. Also don’t say that you’ll get a better deal by switching from x-carrier to y-carrier if you don’t know for sure if it’s exactly true. A good rep knows when a customer is lying and they’ll pretty much be done trying to work with you at that point.

Remember to play it smart. Don’t try and ask for a smartphone without a data plan. That’s like buying a brand new BMW and not wanting to put premium gas in it. The reps most likely can’t make that happen due to restrictions with the way those plans work. Also never ask to speak to the manager while negotiating for a better deal. You’re undermining the representative and are only going to annoy the manager.

Upgrades (phone discounts you get when extending your current contract with your existing carrier) mean pretty little to the sales reps in terms of commission. The rep doesn’t make much on these kinds of contracts and if you’re going to give them a really hard time about pricing, they’ll either pass you to another rep or put 0% effort into trying to help you out.

Tips from reps we know:

• “I’ve had high maintenance customers bring a store employee coffee or thank you card after working really hard for them. Doing even the smallest things like that will get us to do pretty much anything you want in the future or fix any problem you might have down the road.”
• “Reps work on commission; it’s how they pay their bills, feed their kids, and pretty much survive. It’s really aggravating when you spend 45 minutes in the store talking to us about plans and pricing and then come back the next day to sign up with our co-worker on our day off.”
• “Reps are people too. We have our good and our bad days. Act like a decent human being and you’ll be treated with the same respect.”

All in all, pretty standard stuff though like we said, you’d be surprised how many people don’t really get the big picture. Hopefully this makes shopping for a new phone, wireless plan, and even carrier a little easier on you the next time around!

While this post tried to encompass all wireless carriers in the U.S., some have different policies and practices and it’s best to visit their respective website to learn about plan/feature requirements, and any sales/rebates they have available before you go to the store.