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Forrester: Tablets a Bigger Opportunity Than Smartphones

July 26, 2011Written by George Anderson

It's not surprising that so many retailers have been plowing dollars into developing ways to connect with consumers on their smartphones. After all, more and more people are walking around today doing all sorts of activities -- including shopping.

A new study by Forrester Research, however, suggests that while smartphones (and social media) are current beeping bright on retailers' radar screens, tablet devices may ultimately offer a bigger opportunity for driving business.

Sucharita Mulpuru, vice president, principal analyst at Forrester, writes on a company blog: "Only nine percent of web shoppers now have tablet devices, but here's the big deal -- most of those people already own smartphones (as well as PCs, of course), and they are saying that they actually prefer to use their tablets for shopping. Not only that, but the ownership of the tablet device itself actually increases the amount of time that people spend online."

Tablets, according to Forrester, generate 21 percent of mobile traffic to retailer websites. Three aspects of the devices make them more attractive as a shopping device than smartphones from a consumer perspective: larger screens, portability and richer content.

Consumers do have some frustrations with the tablet shopping experience. Forrester found that of the 47 percent of tablet users who have made an online purchase with a device, 44 percent found them to be less shopping friendly than personal computers.

Retailers with tight budgets, according to Ms. Mulpurum, probably don't need to develop content specifically for tablets. On the other hand, those with the means should see tablets as an "opportunity for deeper customer engagement that can make the Internet shopping experience much better for discovery, inspiration, and interactivity. And much better than social networks and smartphones ever could."

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