With 78% of U.S. consumers ages 13+ owning a smartphone in 2015, it’s no secret that the “Apple smartphone revolution” has ushered in the era of the connected consumer. In fact, according to a study by International Data Corporation (IDC), four out of five of you reading this checked your smartphone within the first 15 minutes of waking up this morning.

How to capitalize on the growth of mobile and evolving multichannel strategies and tactics was the subject of the second-annual 2015 Mobile Research Summit: Data and Insights, hosted by Mobile Marketer in New York City on June 18.

The day-long conference offered attendees market research and analysis focused on evolving consumer behavior and insights into how marketers need to adapt to growing trends in mobile. Topics included the new digital divide, shifts in mobile payments, social media, retail, and how mobile technology is transforming the customer experience.

Featured speakers included International Data Corporation (IDC), Deloitte, Javelin, Euromonitor, BIA/Kelsey, Nielsen and Boston Retail Partners.

Here, some key learnings on mobile’s impact on consumers and future implications for brands and retailers:

• Digital has an increasingly significant impact on in-store purchasing behavior, with nearly 80% of consumers interacting with brands or products online before arriving at a brick-and-mortar location. According to Deloitte, in 2014 digitally-influenced in-store retail sales were more than five times greater than e-commerce sales alone. Consumers who use digital while they shop in stores convert at a 20% higher rate compared to those who do not use digital as part of their shopping process.

• According to Euromonitor, three out of five global consumers are interested in making in-store payment via mobile, and prefer easy to use apps and loyalty programs that allow them to earn points/rewards. Think like Starbucks – the company has 16MM users of their mobile app, and 8MM mobile payments are processed weekly. 19% of their total U.S. sales are made via mobile devices.

• Customers prefer personalized experiences. According to a study by Boston Retail Partners, shoppers would be 85% more likely to shop in a store that provides personalized coupons and exclusive offers provided in-store. 64% would be more likely to shop in a store that offers recommendations for specific products to purchase.

• According to Euromonitor, the U.K. emerged in 2014 as a hotbed for mobile payments: 80% of the mobile commerce in the U.K. came from tablets vs. mobile phones. In the U.S., nearly 65% of mobile commerce came from tablets vs. mobile phones, with consumers purchasing higher-value items on tablets.

• 73% of mobile searches trigger additional action & conversions, and 55% of purchase-related conversions occur within 1 hour of an initial search. Location-based targeting in mobile advertising results in double the click-thru rate of non-location-based targeted ads (1.21% average click-thru for geo-targeted ads vs. 0.61% average CTR for non-geo-targeted ads).

 • Consumers’ attention is becoming increasingly fragmented and cross-platform media engagement often involved simultaneous usage. 86% of tablet owners and 89% of smartphone owners report using their devices while also watching TV. Consumers are also using an average 26 apps per month.

•  According to Boston Retail Partners, within the next 5 years 59% of retailers plan to identify customers when they walk in the store via their smartphone, up from only 6% of retailers currently doing this. 70% of retailers also plan to utilize beacon technology in stores within 5 years, up from just 6% today.

• 25% of global consumers say they have purchased something via a social media platform. Asia was the first to embrace the “s-commerce” concept, but the trend is growing – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram have all introduced “Buy” buttons within the past year. While this presents significant opportunity, it also comes with its challenges, including inventory/payment integration with retailers and a lack of consumer trust of purchasing via social.