Mobile internet access hits all-time high

Mobile shopping is continuing to gain momentum, with the latest figures revealing that the number of people accessing the Internet from their smartphone or tablet device on Christmas Day and Boxing Day last year reached an all-time high. According to eDigitalResearch and IMRG, 89% of the 2,000 online consumers surveyed went online over the two days – an increase of 8% and 13%, respectively.

During the Christmas period, 48% of smartphone owners admitted to completing some pre-purchase research from their mobile device, an increase of 9% on last year.

Derek Eccleston, head of research at eDigitalResearch, said these results support the changing habits of consumers: "Nowadays when someone sees a product being advertised or something that catches their eye on TV, the first thing they are likely to do is to reach for their Internet enabled device and search for it online. This provides brands and retailers the opportunity to reach people during one of the few traditionally non-shopping days a year and make a genuine and real impact on sales".