Market research company ForeSee Results has published a report that shows consumers in the United Kingdom are using mobile phones more than ever for retail purposes. There’s a similar trend in the USA.

The company’s study of almost 10,000 visitors to UK online retailers is able to show how satisfaction with mobile websites and applications affects a customer’s intention to purchase, to remain loyal and to recommend the e-retailer.

32% of respondents had used their mobile phone to access a retailer’s website, with an additional 32% indicating they planned to access retailer websites or apps by mobile phone in the future.

8% of web shoppers reported having purchased by phone during the Christmas season, compared to only 2% at the same time last year. By contrast, 11% of American shoppers bought something on their mobile phone.

Almost half (47%) of shoppers who used their phones for retail purposes did so to compare price information. 34% used their phones to compare different products, 20% to look up product specifications and 15% to view product reviews. 

While in physical stores, 67% of mobile shoppers used their phones to visit the store’s own website and 26% used their phones to access a competitor’s website.

Kevin Ertell, vice president of retail strategy at ForeSee Results and author of the report, said “It looks like nearly two-thirds of all shoppers in the UK will soon be using their mobile phones for retail purposes if they aren’t already. Any retailer not actively working to develop, measure, and refine its mobile experience is leaving money on the table for competitors.”

Shoppers who were highly satisfied with a mobile experience were 32% more likely to buy from that retailer online and 31% more likely to buy offline.