Smartphone Shoppers Not So Bad for Brick-and-Mortar, Study Finds

Despite rampant showrooming concerns, a new study finds smartphones "contributing to — not taking away from — in-store sales," with smartphone shoppers 14 percent more likely to convert and make a purchase in the store than nonsmartphone users. According to the Mobile Influence Factor study from Deloitte Consulting, through activities such as product research, price comparison and other mobile application use, smartphones currently influence 5.1 percent of annual retail store sales, translating into $159 billion in forecasted sales for 2012.