NY Times points to a joint Forrester Research and Bizrate Insights report that reports Tablet owners prefer to purchase online with their Tablet more than with their Smartphone and desktop.
Already a significant percent of consumers who currently own tablets report shopping on their tablets; furthermore, many of these shoppers prefer to browse web stores and purchase on their tablets instead of on their PCs or smartphones.
This is important to understand because people are using the Smartphones to browse the product and may later purchase the product on the Tablet.
As outlined in a blog post by an author of the report, reasons for the differences in preference may be an increase in portability or the ease for using a Tablet screen over the limited size of the Smartphone. A third reason may be the richer browser experience on the tablet versus a Smartphone.
The report concludes with a recommendation to online store owners: Design a tablet commerce road map that stays ahead of consumers. Well that is easier said than done!