Who Needs a BFF? Smartphones are the 'Ultimate Shopping Companion,' Nielsen Says

Nearly one-third of smartphone owners use their mobile devices for shopping-related activites, according to new research from Nielsen.

The firm's U.S. Digital Consumer Report reveals that 38% of mobile shoppers use their smartphones to compare prices in-store. 

38% also browse products online via their smartphones, and 34% read product reviews from their devices. 

While the smartphone may be the new favourite shopping companion, users aren't widely adopting their smartphone as a wallet.

Just 9% of consumers with smartphones are using their devices to pay at the register.

However, the curiosity is there: 71% said that would be interested in considering an app that enabled this ability. 

You can check out more data on this topic from Nielsen here.