Cellular Phones and Shopping

Impact of Cellular Phones on Shopping
Cellular phones have given individuals more flexibility through  increased connectivity and communication,  which further increases as the services offered through the cellular phones started to go beyond mere SMS and calls to include e-mail and Internet browsing (Deeter,  2009, p. 32). The use of cellphones, initially intended for business purposes, have also changed and proliferated different age groups to include even youth that made use of the cellular phones as social gadgets (Tamaru, Hasuike,  Tozaki, 2005). Increasingly, the presence of cellular phones is felt in the sphere of shopping as cellular phone manufacturers offer Internet browsing that allows users to do shopping in their mobile phones (Ozok, 2003).

From personal experience, the use of cellular phones has enhanced the shopping experience to the extent that it provided access to information and increased convenience. Mobile phones provides me with the needed information when I need to shop, such as store location, mobile discount coupons, and announcements for promos. The availability of GPS in my mobile phone also gives me greater mobility because I learn about the easiest routes to the nearest stores. Likewise, the availability of Internet in my cellular phone also gives me the chance to shop without having to go to a particular store. Several companies that do business online have already created mobile versions of their websites that allows users to navigate easily and offers the same features as the non-mobile version. The use of Internet as a shopping option makes everywhere a shopping place for me and saves me travel time, especially when it is not needed. Lastly, mobile phones allow me to communicate my feedback to the merchants that sold me goods, whether online or in physical stores. There is no need for me to call through a telephone as a simple text message would already do.

Indeed, cellular phones have become a tool that expands the reach of people beyond geographic and time differences. It is a cost-saving device that has taken over socialization, business, and shopping. For me, it has helped in increasing access to information and serves as a more convenient means of shopping for goods.