TORONTO: Canadian consumers are increasingly using their smartphones for shopping, with many willing to buy more products if they were presented with promotional offers on their device while they were on the move, new research has suggested.

SAS, a business analytics company, surveyed a representative sample of 1,506 Canadians who owned a smartphone to assess how they used the device in the context of shopping.

When asked what they would do if they received a promotion on their smartphone that applied to either the item they were buying or a complementary product, 38% said they would buy both items. And 58% said they would be interested in receiving personalized promotions from nearby stores while out shopping

In addition, 82% of respondents said it would be helpful to be able to get access to detailed product and service information on their phone while in store.

"When you couple the power of the smartphone, with really smart analytics, retailers have an opportunity to forge some really strong customer relationships, and elevate their marketing to new levels," said Lori Bieda, Executive Lead for Customer Intelligence at SAS Americas.

"Retailers who recognize the power of customer information and analytics and use it to deliver location-smart personalized offers to consumers, when and how customers want them, will win the lion's share of the shopping basket," she added.

The survey also found that personalized promotions could help improve customer loyalty, as 47% of smartphone owners said they would be more likely to return to a store that sent personalized promotions to their phone while they were out shopping.

Seven in ten surveyed said they found it helpful when retailers made suggestions based on their previous online purchases.

SAS also suggested that retailers with both an online and bricks-and-mortar presence should consider offering purchasing suggestions to their customers while they are in store.

"Imagine the power of walking into a shopping mall, getting custom promotions delivered to you on your smartphone for things you've told the retailer you are interested in," added Bieda.

Data sourced from PR Newswire; additional content by Warc staff