Smartphones helping shoppers negotiate a better deal

Melbourne, Aug 6 (ANI): Smartphones have become the latest weapon for shoppers to carry out price checks in store to help them negotiate a better deal.

While some shoppers will end up making their purchase online, the consumer group Choice says the majority are still opting to buy in store to take advantage of any consumer protections.

"Shoppers are shopping wherever there is really good customer service, where it is convenient for them and where the prices are great," the Courier Mail quoted Choice spokeswoman Ingrid Just as saying.

"For many that is online, increasingly so, for others it's still in store and the bulk of the shopping is still done in store.

"But as more and more people have more and more devices - whether it be iPhones, smartphones, iPads, tablets, notebooks with them 24/7 - I think unless you're a store that has an online presence to some degree then you're going to fall behind because consumers are checking products in store, they're doing price comparisons in store on their phones and they might physically purchase while they're there or they might think about it, go home and then purchase online," he stated. (ANI)