Baby boomers — those aged 55 plus — are often stigmatized for being behind the times when it comes to technology and the digital world. According to the results of a new survey conducted by Thrive Analytics and released by the Local Search Association, this generation — including Boomers and Seniors — are embracing mobile as a local shopping companion.

Our Consumer Commerce Monitor? survey data supports many of the results highlighted in that study. When it comes to smartphone use, according to the Local Search Association’s study, 69 percent of baby boomers and seniors use their smartphone at in-store locations for local shopping. Our CCM data supports their find with 61 percent of our respondents using smartphone for local shopping at in-store locations.

Our CCM results also showed that 47 percent of baby boomers and seniors use their smartphones at least once a week for local shopping. The Local Search Association’s study outlined that baby boomer and senior smartphone users said that price comparisons and discounts were their top reasons for searching via their mobile devices while shopping in-store (50 percent of baby boomers & seniors).

According to CCM, Baby boomers are also far more likely to use mostly search engines on smartphones or tablets when compared to mobile apps for local shopping (66 percent vs. 4 percent). They’re also more likely than other age groups to shop in-person.

SMBs and national brands need to retire the notion that baby boomers are not a “connected“demographic. Our data shows that advertisers need to learn how best to adapt their mobile strategies to reach this older and more experienced demographic. Mobile continues to shake up the local shopping chain but and leaves opportunities for SMBs to engage with their customers in a new innovative ways.

Learn more about Consumer Commerce Monitor here.

The post How Baby Boomers Are Embracing Mobile Shopping appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

Microsoft’s struggles with mobile are no secret. Worldwide smartphone marketshare for its Windows Mobile OS is estimated to be about 2 percent (Admob, May 2010), and MSFT just discontinued the Kin phone, weeks after launch. It would be easy to think of the company as a smartphone also-ran in a world dominated by Apple, RIM and Google.

That may change in 2010. Microsoft has very uncharacteristically scrapped its entire Windows Mobile operating system and is relaunching with Windows Phone 7. Get used to that term, because as we get toward launch in early Q4, you’ll be hearing it everywhere.

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