Adtraction Blog

Are iPhone users the big spenders of the online shopping world?

Have you ever considered that your smartphone might reveal more than your favourite apps or your contact list? Multiple studies have explored the distinctions between iPhone and Android users, suggesting that our choice of smartphone may disclose more about us than we may realise. What insights do smartphones provide about our shopping habits, and do iPhone users really tend to spend more when shopping online?

We have had a look at our own data, and our findings reveal that iPhone users are indeed spending more in the online shopping world compared to their Android counterparts.

iPhone owners consistently spend more, with their average order value (AOV) surpassing Android users in every market and nearly every product category.

These findings paint a picture of iPhone users as the big spenders online — except when it comes to gadgets and electronics in Norway and Denmark. Here, Android users break the tradition, in particular in Denmark, where they spend 11% more on electronics compared to their iPhone counterparts.

Variations between categories

The beauty category showcases the most distinct gap between iPhone and Android users. In Denmark, iPhone users spend 30% more than those on Android. However, the Danish iOS enthusiasm for beauty products doesn’t cross borders, with a modest 6 to 8 % difference noted in Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Fashion and clothing follows a similar pattern. In Denmark, iPhone users’ AOV is 17 % higher than that of Android users, a trend closely followed by Finland’s 15 % and Norway’s 13 % margins. The difference is lower in Sweden with 7 %.

Interior products seem to exhibit a more uniform spending behaviour. Here, AOV figures are grouped closely together in all markets, showing a minimal 1 to 5 % fluctuation.

The trend is similar in the kids and family category, with a slight 2 to 7 % variation in AOV among the markets.

Electronics, the category in which Android users occasionally outspend the iOS users, is a mixed bag. Android users modestly outdo iPhone users in Norway by 2 % and notably in Denmark by 11 %. However, in Sweden and Finland, iPhone users outspend their Android peers by 10 % and 3 % respectively.

The brand of smartphone we carry in our pockets can actually provide insights into our online spending habits. The insights from the above data shows that iPhone users tend to spend more online, except for when technology calls – whereas Android users in certain Nordic markets take the lead. The correlation between devices and spending doesn’t only reflect our financial situation or personal confidence, it can also reflect how the pattern might be influenced by cultural differences that vary from one place to another.

About the data

For the above piece, we have analysed more than 2.7 million conversions from 531 programs within beauty, fashion, electronics, kids and family and interior across the Nordic markets. The data is from 2022.

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