45% Rise in Mobile Price Checks Shows Changes in Store Shopping
America’s phone-carrying shopper is becoming less of a bargain hunter and more of an in-aisle decision maker. That shift stands out in PYMNTS Intelligence’s 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Playbook, “The New American Shopper.” The report finds that consumers now record 51 digital shopping days a month, up from 46 in January 2024. Much […] The post 45% Rise in Mobile Price Checks Shows…
The share of U.S. shoppers utilizing their phones inside physical stores for price checks and product research has surged by 45% since 2024, according to PYMNTS Intelligence's 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Playbook. This shift in behavior indicates that consumers are increasingly relying on their mobile devices to make informed decisions before purchasing items.
Key findings from the report reveal that 42% of shoppers used a phone while shopping in-store in March 2026, up from 30% in January 2024. Product research on phones reached 39% of shoppers, a significant 14% increase over the same period. Additionally, the share of consumers using their phones to read product reviews while in-store rose to 26%, a 30% increase from 20% in 2024. Similarly, the percentage of shoppers comparing prices at other merchants increased to 26% from 22%, marking an 18% gain.
These activities suggest that shoppers are seeking reassurance that they are choosing the right product at a fair price. Retailers can support this behavior by providing clear product information, easy-to-find reviews, and consistent pricing across channels. Moreover, payment choice is now entering the shopping journey even before checkout, with 16% of consumers checking which payment methods a merchant accepts while still in the store.
This represents a 45% increase from 11% in January 2024, making it the largest gain among the activities measured.
Interestingly, coupon and discount searches have declined to 35% from 37%, indicating that while shoppers still value savings, convenience and certainty are becoming more influential factors in the purchasing decision. The broader report also highlights that 65% of shoppers now consider payment acceptance as a significant factor in where they shop, up from 58% in 2023.
Furthermore, 62% of consumers expect to use an AI shopping agent within the next two years, although only 15% of merchants currently have the data to support such an agent.
Retailers can respond to these changing consumer behaviors without a complete overhaul. Implementing better mobile product details, visible payment options, and reliable checkout processes can transform the shopper's phone into a bridge between the aisle and the sale.
Written by urgent.news from PYMNTS's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
