Irish consumers are increasingly likely to turn to their PCs, smartphones and tablet PCs to find gifts, check recommendations, compare prices, and access online coupons, according to the results of KPMG’s fifth Annual Consumers and Convergence Survey. 
The survey canvassed the views of over 9,000 consumers in 31 countries, including Ireland. Almost half (49%) of Irish consumers now have a smartphone, compared with just 9% in 2010, and over a third (37%) have downloaded five Apps or more in the last year, compared with only 9% of smartphone users worldwide.
Meanwhile, highlighting the shift to a portable online world, 63% of those surveyed spend more than one hour per day on social networking sites. Irish consumers are also increasingly looking to personalise their entertainment, with over a quarter (26%) of all respondents saying that, given the choice, they would prefer to watch programmes and films on their laptop or PC.
However, despite embracing a digital future, only 15% of Irish consumers currently pay for any type of online content, compared with 27% globally. Indicative of the challenge of monetising the web, 73% of Irish consumers stated an unwillingness to start paying for content previously accessed for free, compared with 56% worldwide.
Above article from “Consumer Choice” – A publication by The Consumers’ Association of Ireland, which is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, registered with charitable status and working on behalf of Irish consumers. thecai.ie