• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, June 28, 2015

Smartphone shoppers look to Google for information but when it comes to making a purchase, the road starts at Amazon.

When consumers with smartphones are looking for information, more of them turn to Google than any other source, turning to Google’s search app or Chrome browser, based on a new survey.

Google’s search app and Chrome browser account for more than half (53%) of usage, according to the report.

The study is based on a widely reported survey of 1,000 smartphone owners by Mizuho Securities. Those surveyed had an almost even mix of Android and iOS smartphones.

To find information using their smartphone, where’s where consumers turn:

• 34% -- Open Google search app
• 27% -- Open Safari browser and type inquiry
• 19% -- Open Chrome browser and type inquiry
• 9% -- Go to specific apps like Maps, Yelp
• 7% -- Use voice search (Siri, Google Now)

However, when it comes to shopping on a smartphone, the road starts with Amazon for almost half (45%) of smartphone users. Here’s the breakdown of where consumers start their mobile shopping experience:

• 45% -- Amazon
• 16% -- Google
• 6% -- eBay
• 2% -- Walmart
• 1% -- Target
• 1% -- RetailMeNot

Retailers have a tough mobile shopping hill to climb, based on data like this.

But on the bright side for merchants, many other mobile activities come ahead of shopping.

In terms of time spent on their smartphone, the top three activities on the list are texting, email and search. Shopping is eighth, just after watching videos and gaming.

Interestingly, shopping app RetailMeNot is just about as likely to be the starting mobile shopping point as major retailers like Target or Walmart.

But all of them are a great distance away from Amazon, the company that used to just sell books online.