2. How Consumers Across the Globe Use Multiple Devices to Shop and Buy
Smartphones, laptops, tablets and wearables have been adopted at varying rates and for diverse
purposes across the globe.With such a varied population, one would expect to see quite a few
differences in online shopping and purchasing behaviors related to these devices.To examine how
these devices have affected consumer shopping behavior in different countries, we commissioned a
survey of the adult populations with access to at least one of those devices in Australia, the UK and the
US.We hope these comparisons provide insight into how commerce marketers should approach various
markets in order to achieve success.
Exploring Device Ownership by Country
While the smartphone has been widely adopted in all three countries,Australia leads the way with 88%
of consumers owning the device. In fact, with the exception of those 65 and up, we found a near
universal adoption rate (>90%) by Australian consumers in every age group.
In the US, laptop ownership (80%) exceeded smartphone ownership (75%), and we also saw the high-
est ownership of desktops (66%). Despite their affinity for earlier devices, including laptops and desktop
computers, US consumers also own the most wearables (13%) among the three countries.
And the UK has a higher level of tablet ownership (60%) than either Australia (54%) or the US (57%).
AU Leads UK and US in Smartphone Ownership
1
0
20
40
60
80
Smartphone Laptop Desktop Tablet Wearable
88% 82% 75% 77% 78% 80% 62% 46% 66% 54% 60% 57% 6% 5% 13%
AU UK US
3. 2
0
20
40
60
80
Smartphone Laptop Desktop Tablet Wearable
Purchase Patterns Do Not Always Mimic Ownership
Consumers in all countries own an average of three, or nearly three, of the five devices in the survey, but
they do not use them all for online purchases. In fact, the Australian consumer currently averages only
one device for that purpose.We expect that to change over time, as we have begun to see more
diversification of devices for purchase in the other regions. US consumers use an average of 1.8 devices
for online purchasing, and the UK uses 1.6.
AU Lags Behind in Multi-Device Purchasing
30% 37% 38% 58% 59% 63% 50% 30% 49% 19% 34% 25% 1% 2% 5%
Ownership Purchases
1.63.02.9 1.81.02.7
AU UK US
When we look more specifically at the devices used for online purchasing, the first interesting
observation is that though Australia leads the UK and US in smartphone ownership, it lags behind both in
the use of smartphones for purchasing. Eighty-eight percent of AU adults own a smartphone, but only 30%
have made a purchase using it. Contrast this with the US where 75% of adults own the device and 38%
have used it to purchase and the UK where 82% own the device and 37% have used it for purchasing.
AU Lags Behind US and UK in Purchasing via Smartphone
AU UK US
4. Another interesting fact is that adults
in the UK make purchases more
frequently via their tablets (34%) than
in the US (25%) or Australia (19%).
Male Female
AU UK US
3.12.83.0 2.82.62.8
0
20
40
60
80
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Do Demographics Make a Difference?
Not surprisingly, the use of a smartphone for purchasing is related to age.The younger the consumer,
the more likely he or she will use a smartphone for online purchasing.Two-thirds (65%) of consumers in
the 18-24 age group in both the UK and US have purchased via their smartphone versus 55% in Australia.
For all other age groups,Australia ranks lowest, the UK falls in the middle and the US shows the highest
proportion for shopping online with a smartphone. Clearly, age is a much more important factor
than country.
Purchasing via Smartphone is Age-Related
55% 65% 65% 55% 58% 63% 40% 49% 58% 23% 27% 31% 10% 13% 14%
The other interesting finding is that gender differences rule across these three countries. Men
own more devices than women and use them more for purchasing.
Men Own More Devices
AU UK US
3
34% 25% 19%
5. 4
Male Female
AU UK US
43%37%30% 35%37%30%
Additionally, while men and women in both Australia and the UK have identical preferences
for purchasing via a smartphone (30% and 37% respectively), men in the US are more likely to
purchase via their smartphone (43%) than women (35%).
US Shows a Gender Difference in Smartphone Purchasing
Another distinction we noted relates to tablets, particularly for consumers in the UK who own
(60%) and purchase (34%) via the device more often than consumers from either Australia or
the US.The most notable difference: Both Australia and the US have a similar pattern related to
age and tablet use and show a similar distribution of tablet purchases. It peaks in the
25-44 age groups and trails off on either side. But the pattern in the UK is much more consistent
across age groups, with generally a third of each cohort purchasing via tablet. Even use by the
oldest group (55+) is much higher in the UK with one-fifth (22%) purchasing via tablet, twice the
proportion in either Australia (11%) or the US (11%).
Use of Tablets for Purchase
0
20
40
60
80
17% 32% 29%26% 39% 39%25% 32% 42%20% 31% 20%11% 22% 11%
AU UK US
18-24 45-5425-34 55+35-44
6. 5
Conclusion
To be effective in any of these regions, it is essential to understand the dynamics of mobile and
online shopping and purchasing. For example,Australians have the highest rate of smartphone
ownership, but that hasn’t translated to widespread use of the device for online purchasing. On the
other hand, the US embraces a wider diversity of devices, and its consumers are quick to use them
for ecommerce.And the tablet is more important to the UK audience than to either Australia or
the US.
In some cases, the demographics seem to drive behavior more, regardless of country. For example,
men own and use more devices than women in all three countries. Smartphones are more the
province of younger consumers, and desktops are more widely used by the older consumer.
The bottom line: Commerce marketers must ensure that the shopping and purchasing experience
for their brand is appropriate for their target audience, both in terms of demographics and
preferred device(s). For instance, the omnichannel experience is critical in the US and UK where
consumers use multiple devices along their path to purchase, while merchants in Australia – and
those whose target audience is younger - should focus on a mobile-first strategy.These regional
and demographic differences can help you focus your efforts and meet consumers where they are.
They’ve told us what they like and how they prefer to shop. Now take the information and run with it.
