She said that the increased use of mobile technology highlights a message for government as well as retailers.

Osmond stated that particularly at a state level, the uptake of mobile technology in retail should affect changes in public policy, such as removing labelling of nutritional information, deregulation of store trading hours and planning laws.

"When we talk about retail, we don't talk about bricks and mortar or online, because successful retailers are going to have to encompass everything in between," she said.

Furthermore, the study showed that Australian consumers are uncertain about their financial outlook, with only 56 per cent citing they are positive about their income situation, and therefore still exercising frugality in their purchasing decisions.

Also, the attitudes towards discretionary spending remain largely conservative with 47 per cent of Australians searching for items on sale and only 10 per cent indicating they will spend more in general.