According to ‘Agile Consumer 2013’ report, conducted by research company OnePoll, 46% of respondents gathered more information on products, and 41% took photos of potential buys. With regards to showrooming, 17% of smartphone owners used a mobile device to find a competitive offer on another merchant’s website and bought there.

Retail apps were popular, too, and accessed in many locations. Some 42% of smartphone owners turned to apps to browse products while at home, and one-quarter did this while commuting or at work.

The report also revealed that smartphone owners were open to receiving mobile marketing messages, too. Some 72% said they would be more likely to revisit a store if it sent coupons and tailored promotions to their phones. A similar number (73%) would be more likely to buy additional products if they received a mobile voucher or coupon while shopping in a store.

Finally, the report revealed that mobile buying isn’t as widespread as mobile shopping. Just 17% of people researching via smartphone also bought with the device. But that was a higher proportion than the 12% who researched in-store on their phones and then bought at that store. Overall, 42% of UK smartphone owners had bought something with their phones, and over half of those said it was easy to do so.