News

Report: Consumers using 'near me' searches on smartphones to choose restaurants

August 28, 2018

Google "near me" searches are up 200 percent, according to an Uberall report that surveyed more than 1,000 smartphone users across the US to understand their "near me" preferences and behavior, according to a press release.
 
The Top 5 ways consumers used their smartphones to help them shop, included 

1. Researching products (63)
2. Price comparison (62).
3. Search for coupons or deals (56).
4. Check for store hours (54).
5. Find nearby store locations (52).    

"Smartphones have become the go-to research companion for consumers," CRO and Co-founder of Uberall  Josha Benner, said in the release. "For all the talk of mobile displacing brick-and-mortar shopping, our data finds that these devices are hugely supportive of in-store foot traffic. Checking hours and finding nearby locations were two of the most popular use cases from respondents."

When asked if respondents have ever tried a "near me" search on their mobile devices 82 percent said "yes", while only 18 percent have not. Among millennials, "near me" adoption was even greater, at 92 percent versus 8 percent.
 
"The restaurant and quick-service industry sees a lot of 'near me' searches," added Benner. "This makes sense given how proximity-based eating is as a behavior. It will likely always hold the top spot. However, 'near me' searches for the other four categories in the top-five will only increase in the future."