Tag: british retail consortium

Mobile commerce sparks decline in cash usage in the UK

| June 7, 2013

UK consumers may be flocking to mobile commerce and abandoning cash

The British Retail Consortium has been keeping track of a surprising trend that has emerged in the United Kingdom. The organization has reported that cash usage among consumers saw a sharp drop in 2012. This trend has been growing more pronounced as consumers grow more reliant on mobile technology. Smartphones and tablets are allowing consumers to engage in mobile commerce, which has lead them to move away from traditional forms of commerce for the sake of convenience.

Consumers are turning to cards and mobile devices to purchase products

The British Retail Consortium has released the results of a new survey that shows the decline of cash usage among consumers. According to the survey, cash usage fell by nearly 10% throughout the United Kingdom in 2012. Many consumers appear to be using their debit and credit cards more often, with others favoring mobile commerce platforms. Notably, physical forms of currency are losing grounds with young, tech-savvy consumers that have a great deal of experience with mobile technology.

Mobile commerce growth UKRetail sector sees growth in mobile commerce activity

While consumers appear to be moving toward mobile commerce, payments made from smartphones and tablets still represent a small volume of the spending that occurs in many sectors. The retail sector has seen the most activity when it comes to mobile commerce, but spending from mobile devices is still offset by the use of cash and other forms of commerce. Consumers that are not interested in mobile spending are showing interest in another aspect of mobile commerce, however, as they begin to embrace the usefulness of banking applications.

Mobile payments unlikely to completely replace cash for the foreseeable future

Mobile commerce is expected to continue growing throughout the United Kingdom, especially as more businesses begin offering comprehensive mobile services. Mobile commerce may eventually replace the use of cash, but this is not expected to happen for several years. For now, consumers will continue to rely on cash and their debit and credit cards until the challenges that mobile commerce faces have been overcome.

Mobile commerce aids UK retail growth in April

| May 13, 2013

Mobile Commerce Retail GrowthMobile commerce helps boost retail performance

E-commerce sales have grown in April in the United Kingdom this year. Much of this growth is being powered by mobile commerce, according to the British Retail Consortium, a trade association representing the UK retail industry. The association has released a new report concerning the growth of e-commerce, showing that mobile purchases are becoming increasingly popular throughout the country. April, in particular, showed strong growth in the mobile commerce sector.

Report highlights retail growth

According to the report, online sales for April rose by 8.3%. This is lower than the 9% growth that had been reported in online sales in April 2012, but this increase still represents promising progress. The report shows that mobile commerce made up a prominent portion of online sales. The British Retail Consortium suggests that as many as one in five retailers claim that much of their sales are coming from those using mobile devices.

Mobile commerce becoming more popular with consumers

Mobile commerce has become much more than a simple trend in the UK retail industry. Consumers are beginning to favor their mobile devices when it comes to shopping; using their smartphones and tablets to shop for and purchase products they are interested in. The retail industry has yet to embrace mobile commerce entirely, but many companies have been making an effort to become more accommodating to consumers that are interested in mobile commerce.

Easter helps draw attention to mobile commerce services

The report from the British Retail Consortium shows that growth in the retail sector is strongest in health and beauty lines, as well as clothing and home accessories. Growth in mobile commerce during April was aided somewhat by the Easter holiday, during which many retailers launched new initiatives to engage mobile consumers. Some of these initiatives proved more successful than others, providing retailers with a better insight into the workings of mobile commerce.