Tablet owners spend more online, consume more media, study finds

The tablet computer has changed the way people consume media and in many cases has led to new trends in online shopping, according to a March 2012 study by Total Media.

The report, obtained exclusively by marketing news provider Marketing Week, states that the average UK tablet owner spent approximately $157 online in the first three months of 2012. This far surpasses the national average of $124 and exceeds smartphone-only user spending by about $17.

The tablet has become a valuable online shopping tool, because its large screen size allows people to view items in greater detail than they could with a smartphone. The tablet's lightweight frame also makes it a highly portable and convenient device to pull up product information on the go.

Tablet owners aren't only spending on physical objects, however. They are also highly likely to spend on digital products, like video, music and other media, the study finds, according to Marketing Week.

Despite these trends in online shopping, a survey from Zmags finds that most retailers are not ready for the tablet boom. In a survey of 100 internet retailers, fewer than one-third indicated they had optimized their websites for tablet computers.