New figures from the comScore MobiLens service have shown how the use of QR codes is becoming an increasingly popular way of promoting product information and encouraging sales. The study, which collected information from smartphone users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, revealed that the number of European smartphone users scanning QR codes via their devices grew by 96% in the past year to 17.4 million users.
Most QR codes provided product information, with event information accounting for the next-largest proportion of scans.
Germany ranked first for usage of QR codes in the ‘EU5’, with 18.6% of smartphone users scanning them. In second place was Spain at 16%, having seen 218% growth in the past 12 months. The UK had the lowest growth and penetration of all five countries, with QR code usage up 43% year-on-year to reach 11.4% of smartphone owners.
Hesham Al-Jehani, European mobile product manager at comScore, said “Consumer usage of QR codes offers a new and exciting opportunity for marketers to help move consumers further down the purchase funnel. By offering more detailed product information or related content, QR codes bring consumer vital information in their consideration of a particular product or service. With smartphones now in the majority of consumers’ pockets, access to the sort of information they might get on their computer when researching a product online can help retailers improve their conversion in-store.”
European smartphone audience scanning QR Codes via their devices
Three-month average ending July 2012 vs July 2011 |
| |
Smartphone audience |
Year-on-year growth |
% of smartphone audience |
Year-on-year percentage point increase |
| EU5 |
17,390,000 |
96% |
14.1% |
+4.0 |
| France |
2,843,000 |
71% |
12.5% |
+1.9 |
| Germany |
5,084,000 |
128% |
18.6% |
+6.1 |
| Italy |
2,765,000 |
75% |
11.9% |
+3.2 |
| Spain |
3,381,000 |
218% |
16.0% |
+9.0 |
| UK |
3,316,000 |
43% |
11.4% |
+0.6 |