Shopping via smartphone is routine for many Americans, but a new MasterCard study revealed people are doing that shopping in weird – and some would say inappropriate – places.
According to the survey of 1,568 U.S. and Canadian adults, 24% said they've shopped while using the bathroom, 4% have shopped in the shower, 4% have shopped at weddings and 2% have even shopped during funerals.
"As every device becomes a shopping device, consumers increasingly rely on the ability to shop when, where and how they want. The prevalence of online, mobile, contactless and in-app payments are facilitating this trend," the study said.
People said the biggest reasons they shop online or via a mobile device is so they can compare prices and because checking out is easier, according to the study. Americans were more likely than Canadians to shop online or via a mobile device because they didn't want to leave the house (42% versus 35%).
Indeed, shoppers have a short fuse when it comes to e-commerce: Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they've ditched a retailer because it didn't provide an online payment option. About one in five respondents (22%) said they wouldn't buy from a retailer that didn't have a contactless payment option, and 19% said they wouldn't buy if the retailer didn't have a mobile payment option. Fourteen percent said they'd refuse to pay if the retailer didn't have an in-app payment option.
Despite their penchant to shop wherever and whenever, about half of the respondents said they do worry about security and sharing payment information. About one third also said they hate having to enter payment information over and over on every website. Men, older respondents and Canadians were more concerned about security, according to the study, which was done in conjunction with survey company Critical Mix.
Nonetheless, consumers seem split on the decision to switch from physical to mobile wallets, the study found.
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