• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, July 23, 2015

It’s hardly a secret that many consumers use their phones in stores, even though most of the actual purchases are from the store itself.

Almost three quarters (73%) of smartphone owners have made an in-store purchase within the last three months and more than half (53%) see in-store shopping as the best overall shopping experience, according to a new survey.

The study comprised a survey of 12,000 randomly selected smartphone users conducted by SessionM.

The surprise stat is that more than 90% of smartphone owners said they use their smartphones when retail shopping, though it is unclear if the activity refers to the location of the shopping.

For example, many consumers use their phones for research at home before heading to the store.

In terms of in-store phone usage, consumers use their phones for more than one shopping activity. As in other studies, price comparisons and looking for information about products are common activities. Here’s what they do, based on the survey:

• 54% -- Comparing prices
• 48% -- Searching for product info
• 42% -- Checking online reviews

Another interesting insight is that the majority (57%) of smartphone owners would be likely to shop at a store if they received messages or push notifications about relevant deals and coupons while shopping at that store.

This is one of the promises of beacons, to deliver more precise, location-based targeted messaging to shoppers.

Loyalty also is a factor, with 77% likely to shop at a retail store with a loyalty program where the shopper earns points.

Compared to a year ago, 85% of consumers said their mobile buying frequency had held steady or increased and 15% said they bought via mobile significantly more than last year.

Consistent with many other studies, concerns about security of personal information along with screen size are detriments to mobile purchasing.

So in-store mobile commerce is still about coupons and deals, with the final purchase being made at the store.