Black Consumers Among Most Engaged Mobile Users

Black consumers over the age of 18 are more mobile-minded than the general population and appear to be on the leading edge of engagement regarding the use of their mobile device to aid in shopping and viewing online content, according to research from Prosper Insights & Analytics.

According to the study, black consumers have a mobile aptitude score of 127.3, indicating that they have a higher mobile capacity (+27 percent) than adults 18 and over. In addition to mobile ownership, usage, influence to purchase and frequency of mobile Internet access, the index includes various mobile shopping behaviors to provide marketers with a better understanding of shoppers’ propensity toward mobile media.

One of the many components of the Mobile Aptitude Score is how consumers use their mobile device to assist in purchasing decisions while in a store. The research found that black consumers are more likely to use the “mobile mall” at their fingertips to get a discount, request a price match, comparative shop and get more information on a product. Additionally, they are more likely to treat a brick-and-mortar store as a “showroom” to evaluate products and then buy online.

Regularly use smartphone/tablet for the following while shopping in a store (Index: Blacks 18+ vs. Adults 18+):

• "Check in" for a discount: 144
• Compare prices and purchase from the same retailer's website: 138
• Compare prices and purchase from another retailer's website: 137
• Request a price match: 137
• Scan a QR code to get more information about a product: 136
• Compare prices and purchase from the same retailer's website using my device: 129
• Compare prices but still purchase from the same retailer: 128
• Compare prices and purchase from another retailer's website using my device: 127
• Compare prices and purchase from another retailer's physical store: 127
• Read product reviews to decide between products: 126

A score of 100 is flat to the general population; a score of 105 indicates the score is 5 percent higher than the general population.

Prosper Insights & Analytics provides advanced business intelligence using analytical software to examine big datasets and provide answers to executives via its cloud-based InsightCenter platform powered by Prosper Technologies.