More than 70% of tablet owners use the devices to shop online, according to a survey released on Monday (11 June).<\/p>\n
Online retailer kalahari.com<\/a> analysed the behaviour of over 4,000 connected South Africans, which revealed that 73.4% of tablet owners were using the device to shop online.<\/p>\n “The growth of mobile shopping in the last year has been fuelled by the vigorous uptake of tablet devices,” kalahari.com marketing head Liz Hillock said in a statement.<\/p>\n The number of tablet owners was set to grow, as close to 60% of shoppers who did not currently have tablets were considering buying one.<\/p>\n “Tablets are portable and, with their touch screens and intuitive interfaces, they have become a more tactile and convenient way to access the internet and shop online.”<\/p>\n The survey revealed the Apple<\/a> iPad as the most popular tablet, followed by Samsung<\/a> Galaxy.<\/p>\n It also showed more than a third of connected shoppers owned a tablet and used it to shop online for items such as electronic books, music, flight tickets, or for banking.<\/p>\n Hillock said a growing number of women were buying tablets.<\/p>\n “From 2010 to July 2011, males were the predominant purchasers of tablets (at 64%) while the number of female tablet buyers was a mere 36%.<\/p>\n “This is changing, as from August 2011 to date, 54% of tablet buyers are male and 46%\u00a0female.”<\/p>\n The survey showed that in terms of smart phones, Blackberry remained the favourite for mobile shoppers, with the Apple iPhone in second spot.<\/p>\n The increase in internet access via mobile devices coincided with the growth of mobile shopping transactions recorded over the last year.<\/p>\n In 2012, 37.3% \u00a0of the respondents indicated they had already made a purchase on their smart phones, while 63.2% \u00a0indicated they were considering it.<\/p>\n “Shoppers are clearly becoming comfortable and confident with the idea of transacting through their cellphones,” said Hillock.<\/p>\n “In fact, the survey also shows that 98% of South Africans connected feel that accessing the internet on their smart phones is as safe, or safer, than accessing it via their computer.”<\/p>\n This year’s mobile shopping survey confirmed an increasing number of shoppers would be transacting and shopping through their cellphones in the near future.<\/p>\n Related articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr Price targets online shopping<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Lower prices, convenience lures SA shoppers online<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n