32 percent people use smartphones for shopping: Study

"For shopping, 32 percent would like to pick their smart-phones and 23 percent chose the laptop or desktops as the next choice.

"It goes on to show how connected the mobile device is and plays a significant role in a purchase decision," Havas Media Asia Pacific chief executive Vishnu Mohan said quoting a study 'Role of the connected device in the branding and buying cycle of a consumer'.

The report further said that 15.7 percent of smartphone buyers and 16 per cent of tablet buyers prefer not to visit a physical store for purchasing them.

The survey done by leading communication agency Havas Media's mobile marketing network Mobext India, sampled over 2,800 respondents in the country.

The report finds that almost 80 per cent of respondents held smart-phone as their primary device, while 13 per cent consider the laptop or desktop and 7 per cent prefer the tablet.

"As consumers are increasingly spending more time on their mobile devices and use them for different purposes, brands have more opportunities to interact meaningfully with their customers," says Havas Media India & South Asia chief executive Anita Nayyar.

From a media perspective, the report finds that an average connected Indian consumes 9 hours of media, with smart phones constituting nearly 44 percent of it.

"It has been found that mobile device purchase cannibalises other media consumption habits, as 21 percent of smartphone users prefer not to read a printed book. While 22 percent prefer to watch less TV, 16 percent reduce time on the Internet via a laptop and 30 percent of tablet users read fewer printed books," the study said.