In France, Smartphone Purchases Happen on the Go (but also at Home)

Few buy anything via their smartphone while at work

December 13, 2016 | Retail & Ecommerce

Nearly three-quarters of smartphone buyers in France make purchases via their device while out and about, May 2016 research from Médiamétrie uncovered. And almost as many respondents (65%) said they do so while at home.

To compare, four in 10 said they make purchases while at a friend or family member's home. Nearly the same amount of respondents said they did so while on public transportation.

Perhaps surprisingly—and maybe not ideal for workplace productivity—more than a third of smartphone buyers made purchases via their device at work.

Separate data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) found that, in a typical month, 27% of all monthly purchases by mobile buyers ages 18 and older in France were made via a smartphone or tablet.

That’s relatively average in comparison to other major countries in Western Europe—slightly less than Ireland, but slightly higher than Sweden and Austria.

Why aren’t more of France’s consumers taking up mobile buying? According to data from Bing Ads and Ifop, there are three major barriers. Data privacy was the top concern; 46% of web users polled said they worried about the security of their personal information. But online sellers were also failing consumers in other ways: 39% of respondents said many retailers’ websites weren’t well adapted for mobile shoppers, and 35% said the available payment options made little or no provision for mobile customers.

—Ben Clague