Belgians not keen on shopping via smartphone

Most Belgian shoppers still prefer to shop in physical stores instead of online via a mobile device, according to a survey by marketing and technology agency DigitasLBI. In a comparison of 12 countries, Belgians come out as the least likely to purchase online via their smartphone or tablet. "There is still a lot of potential," says José Fernandez, CEO of DigitasLBI Belgium.

According to a study by market research agency GfK in February 2014, 46% of Belgians own a smartphone and 38% own a tablet. Therefore, a lack of equipment does not explain the Belgians’ reluctance to shop via their mobile device. However, in the last three months, only 15% of smartphone users in Belgium used their smartphones for online shopping.

“One reason may be that people over 55 years old are over-represented in the Belgian population, and these people are less likely to change the way they buy things,” said Fernandez. “Another reason,” he suggests, “is that about 90% of the Belgian websites are not mobile friendly. So it will take some time.”