Mobile phones aren't distracting in-store shoppers - quite the opposite

Mobile devices are improving in-person retail shopping rather than distracting consumers from snapping up a bargain, according to a new poll.

The poll, from Gallup, revealed that 22% of US consumers said that mobiles had increased their retail store trips, trumping those who said it decreased by 3 percentage points.

Similar data from Deloitte highlighted the influence of mobile usage on in-store purchases – complimenting the rising adoption of location-based marketing.

The research found that the use of mobile devices before or during in-store shopping trips influenced or helped to convert approximately $593 billion in US in-store retail sales in 2013, compared with $159 billion in 2012.

This new research further bolsters the importance of the iBeacon technology and the pivotal role it could play in the future of retail.  Research, from eDigitalResearch, found that 33% of respondents believed that targeted messages sent to their phones during a shopping spree would influence purchasing decisions.

So marketers worried that the rise of mobile devices would distract consumers from looking up and viewing your hard worked marketing strategies, worry not, consumers have signaled their acceptance of mobile-targeted content.