Mobile phones and tablets aren't just used for online shopping, they play a big part in attracting customers to bricks and mortar stores.
A new Deloitte report finds 40 per cent of store visits in Australia last year were influenced by interactions on social media, websites and apps.
While online shopping is on the rise, in-store sales still account for 93 per cent of total sales in Australia.
The Deloitte report says many traditional retailers consider online as a distinct sales channel requiring considerable investment, with lower profit margins.
"This view drastically underestimates the potential value and return on investment of digital on in-store experience," it said.
New online retail methods can blend with and complement traditional sales techniques, Deloitte said.
One in five people aged 55 to 70 use digital devices when shopping in actual stores, the research shows.
Categories most influenced by digital technology are electronics, automotive, books and music, furniture and baby and toddler products.
One of the report's researchers, Katherine Milesi, said users of social media were 26 per cent more likely than non-users to make a retail purchase.
"A lot of social media is about gaining information and validation for a purchase," she said.
"We know in apparel purchasing a lot of validation is developed by taking photos and uploading to a site and getting friends to comment before purchasing."
The Deloitte research was drawn from a survey of 2,000 Australians.
KEY FINDINGS:
* 47 pct of respondents use a mobile device to compare products
* 42 pct access product information online
* 33 pct check product availability online
* 65 pct go online before shopping
* 31 pct use a mobile device while shopping
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