Android users lag in importance behind Apple customers in mobile commerce
As opportunities in mobile commerce continue to grow and change, retailers consistently say that Apple consumer rule mobile commerce despite lower smartphone sales. However, it appears that though iPhone users are a minority they are far more likely to use their smartphones to make purchases and otherwise engage in mobile commerce.
Lucrative mobile commerce business
Apple seems to have bigger visibility with iPhones, but sales for Android powered phones accounted for 52.5 percent of smartphone sales and iPhones made up just 34.3 percent. Those figures can be misleading through, because Apple has huge gains and sales in the tablet market with the iPad alone dominating with 76 percent of the market share. Android and other manufacturers make up the rest.
However, that does not account for those actually using their smartphones to make mobile commerce transactions. These are essentially payments made by use of the smartphone – allowing some consumers to leave their wallet at home. Apple’s iPhone users may be a smaller crowd, but they are by far the most likely to use a smartphone for a purchase rather than whipping out the credit card or paying in cash.
The difference is in the user
Though iPhones account for lower sales, they are higher priced than most Android powered smartphones. In essence, those with less expendable income are far more likely to get a less expensive Android when smartphone shopping. The iPhone user is more into using the smartphone for all of the capacities it possesses and are more likely to be up to trying newer trends like mobile commerce transactions for simply buying coffee at a corner shop. Android users are in on the action, but are far behind iPhone consumers in cash to spend and on the willingness to try new ways of spending it.
Kevin Edwards of Affiliate Window said, “Apple users are typical early adopters. They’re generally tech-savvy individuals who embrace new ways of interacting and transacting online.” He also theorizes that Apple customers are more comfortable about shopping and more confident in shopping online. Not only are iPhone users more active in mobile commerce, the same can be said for iPad users as well.
CoffeeTable now available on iPhone
CoffeeTable, the highest ranked catalog shopping application for the iPad, is now universally available throughout the iOS platform. The application launched for the iPhone this week, making it widely available to all iOS consumers. The move was made in time for the holiday season, with CoffeeTable developers believing that the application will be a major boon for consumers that enjoy mobile shopping. Indeed, mobile shopping has become a well loved concept amongst many consumers all over the world, thus placing CoffeeTable in an ideal position to appeal to these consumers.
Holiday season sees increasing interest around mobile shopping
The holiday season is rapidly approaching and retailers are preparing for one of the most important days of the years: Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving is a time when retailers provide consumers with major discounts, deals, and special offers as a way to entice their patronage. For many retailers, a good showing during Black Friday could make up for an entire year of poor performance. With consumers becoming more connected to their mobile devices, retailers are beginning to target the mobile sector as a way to see further gains during the holiday season.
CoffeeTable app provides consumers with wide range of products
CoffeeTable is one year old this week and is keen to celebrate this occasion by becoming more widely available to consumers. The application aggregates catalog content from a wide variety of retailers, allowing consumers to browse products they may be interested in. Consumers may then purchase these products through either a mobile commerce platform, or an e-commerce website. Retailers may see a significant increase in traffic through the application on Cyber Monday, the equivalent of Black Friday for the electronics and technology sectors whose businesses reside online.
Mobile shopping may dominate holiday season
Mobile shopping is expected to play a large role during the 2012 holiday season. This is largely due to the growing number of consumers who have become enthralled with smart phones and tablets. These consumers are finding it more convenient to use their mobile devices to buy products, and these devices may become particularly useful for those that want to avoid the large amount of traffic they might see on Black Friday at local stores.
