CONSUMERS doubled the amount of searches they made for goods like clothes using their smartphones and tablets in the first quarter as the revolution in communications technology continued to rock the High Street.
Research by Google found the volume of searches completed on mobile devices increased by 132% in the three months to March, compared with the same period in 2011. Events like the New Year sales and Mothers' Day triggered a huge increase in traffic.
The British Retail Consortium-Google online monitor suggests growth in searches using mobile devices increased much faster than overall online Inquiries, which rose by 11%.
With food and drink representing the fastest growing search category for mobile devices, the research findings suggest shoppers are using the technology to access information that can help them make an increasing range of every day decisions on the move.
"Squeezed household budgets mean customers are turning more and more to the internet to research what they're buying and look for best value," said Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium. "Being able to check competitors' goods and prices while they're in a store is a big part of the continuing boom in retail searches via mobiles and tablets. It's a sign of these tough times that this isn't restricted to major purchases."
While the increase in mobile searches is not broken down by area, Scottish consumers appear to be enthusiastic users of internet technology to help with their shopping.
Scotland accounted for 9% of overall internet retail enquiries in each of the last two quarters.
Retailers will take comfort from the fact searches of UK brands by people based overseas rose by 57% in the quarter, with shoppers in Mexico and Pakistan leading the way. The number of searches by people in both countries more than doubled.
Interest from people based in the BRIC countries increased strongly, with traffic from India increasing 80% annually.
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