Mobile Devices Serve As Best Shopping Tool for Holiday Bargain Hunters

Bargain hunters bought more than $1 billion dollars of merchandise this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to a ComScore study. Some eager shoppers stood in long lines while others scoured the web for the best deals, but this year more shoppers used mobile devices on their hunts. So, whether your team iPhone or Android, your cellphone will likely be your go-to device when searching for the best bargains year round.

IBM’s Cyber Monday report for 2012 found that online sales have increased by 36% from last year with more than 18 % of consumers using a mobile device to visit a retailer’s site, which is an increase of more than 70% over 2011. In addition, mobile sales reached nearly 13%, an increase of more than 96% from last year.

Consumers shopped smarter and went to the mall with their smartphone in hand to find the biggest sales.  Besides being able to use thrifty apps like RedLaser and PriceGrabber, which both allow you to compare prices from multiple stores at once; shopping on mobile devices can be quicker than waiting in checkout lines.

Tablets were also useful this weekend. The iPad generated the most traffic of all tablets with 90% and the Kindle came in second with 2% of tablet users checking the device to find the best deals. Amazon’s Kindle devices hit a record, according to the online retailer, with many noting the $129 Kindle Fire deal, down from its original $159 price tag.

When preparing for your next shopping spree, check your smartphone or tablet before putting your foot on the gas and heading to the mall.