With the impending credit crunch, consumers are now using their mobile phones in order to seek cheaper prices and better bargains when shopping out on the high street. A third of shoppers are taking advantage of the mobile internet to compare prices or to look up product reviews and recommendations before actually investing in luxury purchases and personal items, found by a BT survey.

BT futurologist Ian Neild said that Broadband on the move is bringing about a huge change in consumer behaviour because now you can move around with the web in your pocket. The ability of the buyers to get connected to the web and compare prices and product features online has provided a big push to mobile-based shopping.

The research cautions the retailers who have not yet developed mobile versions of their websites. One fifth of all shoppers who were surveyed said the most important feature of mobile websites is that it should be specifically designed for the mobile internet. Almost 39 per cent wanted easy navigation and a huge majority wanted quick loading speeds.