Australia: Tablet owners more likely to go online whilst watching TV
January 15, 2014
Australians with a tablet computer in the household are more likely to shop online and browse the Internet while watching TV, according to the results from the Roy Morgan Retail Monitor show.
While 1 in 2 Australians aged 14 and over now buys something over the Internet at least every three months, this rises to nearly 2 in 3 (64 per cent) among those with access to a tablet at home. Nearly half of home tablet users (48 per cent) say they like to surf the net while watching TV, compared with around 1 in 3 overall.
Warren Reid, Group Account Manager – Consumer Products, Roy Morgan Research, says: “Interfacing through mobile devices, especially tablets, arguably offers a less-restrictive ‘browsing’ experience than traditional Internet browsers, whether for scrolling through 6000+ pairs of shoes on an online product aggregator app such as ShopStyle, or swiping through a store’s ‘magalogue’.”
“Consumers with access to a tablet are more likely to surf the net while watching TV and to shop online, and there is an ever-increasing number of online-only goods and service providers, such as eBay and Red Balloon, who now use TV advertising to reach customers.”
“It’s important for bricks and mortar retailers to understand who and where these technologically equipped customers are, and to carefully monitor changes in how they shop. Perhaps smart TVs will become the next retail marketplace.”