Four in ten shoppers worldwide are using their mobile phones to compare prices while in-store, according to new GfK research. Four in ten, meanwhile, are contacting friends or family for advice and over a third are taking pictures of products they might buy.

GfK interviewed more than 25,000 mobile phone users aged 15 or older in 23 countries, including UK, USA and Germany, during summer 2014. Men outweigh women in terms of using their mobile phone in-store to compare prices on a regular basis, standing at 42 per cent and 37 per cent respectively. The most active age group is shoppers aged 20-29, with 49 per cent saying they regularly do this, followed by those aged 15-19 and 30-39, both at 45 per cent.

Adrian Hobbs, managing director of online pricing intelligence at GfK, comments: "With significant numbers of shoppers being online whilst they are inside shops, bricks and mortar outlets need to respond. Having a close and real-time eye on the pricing of online competitors and reacting quickly are now key success factors for physical retailers, as well as online ones. This is especially true for retailers in regions such as Asia and South America, as consumers here are most active in using their mobiles while in a store."

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