Now in its third year, the Mobile Path to Purchase survey by xAd has seen steady increases in the centrality and importance of mobile devices in consumer shopping behavior. According to the study, mobile now exceeds the PC as the most important research tool.

Since 2013, the study has found that the importance of the PC among consumers for purchase research has decreased six percentage points while mobile has increased two points, representing a swing in importance of eight points in favor of mobile devices.

The study also pointed to a mobile only population. In some key verticals xAd found that smartphones were the only internet device used to support purchase decision making. For instance, nearly two thirds of restaurant searchers and 1 in 6 car buyers were relying solely on their phones for research and information.