BWild |
September 18, 2013
Report highlights growth of UK mobile commerce
A new report from Capgemini, a business consultancy firm, and IMRG, an online retail association based in the United Kingdom, show that mobile sales in the UK grew by 133% year on year in August. The report shows that mobile sales reached more than $1.8 billion in this time, representing major growth in the field of mobile commerce. In the United Kingdom, more consumers are opting to shop and make purchases using their smartphones and tablets as more comprehensive mobile commerce services become available.
Online sales grow 18% in August
In general, online sales in the United Kingdom grew by 18% in August of this year, reaching over $7 billion. Consumers appear to prefer traditional forms of online shopping, such as buying products from home using their computers, but a growing number of people are showing interest in mobile commerce. Smartphone and tablet adoption is on the rise, which is one of the factors contributing to the growth of mobile commerce. Another factor has to do with the increased focus that retailers are putting on mobile consumers.
Retailers seek to engage mobile consumers
Many UK retailers have been making major revisions to their websites to be more accommodating to mobile users. These retailers are attempting to optimize the mobile shopping experience, encouraging consumers to make purchases using their mobile device. A good experience with mobile commerce is likely to ensure consumers continue making mobile purchases. In the past, poor mobile commerce experiences have kept consumers away from mobile shopping on certain platforms.
Security fears seem to be mitigated
Consumers in the UK appear to be growing more confident in the security associated with mobile commerce as well. Security has long been one of the most challenging issues of the mobile commerce sector. Consumers often express concerns regarding the safety of their financial information, but retailers and mobile commerce firms appear to be providing higher levels of security to allay any sense of fear that consumers may have.
Mobile commerce having an impact on online sales
IMRG, a retail industry association based in the United Kingdom, has released a new report concerning mobile commerce. The report shows that mobile shopping is becoming more common among consumers. This may be due to the fact that mobile commerce firms are beginning to take issues like security and efficiency more seriously. As mobile commerce platforms become more secure, consumers are becoming more likely to use these platforms. Efficient platforms also improve the shopping experience, further encouraging consumers to participate in mobile commerce in the future.
23% of online sales now come from mobile devices
The report shows that mobile commerce now accounts for 23% of online sales in the second quarter of 2013. This is an 11.6% increase over what mobile sales had been during the same period in the previous year. While sales are increasing, the report shows that mobile devices are primarily used to research products rather than purchase them outright. While this means that more consumers are using their mobile devices to enhance their shopping experience, it shows that many have yet to ease into the mobile commerce space.
Survey shows majority of smartphone owners have yet to make a mobile payment
A similar survey was recently released by market research firm Econsultancy that shows 51% of smartphone owners have not made a mobile payment with their device in the past six months. Many of these consumers have expressed interest in mobile commerce, but have chosen not to participate due to security concerns and other issues. Security is currently one of the most significant hurdles barring the aggressive progress of the mobile commerce sector.
Security proves to be a problematic issue for mobile commerce
As mobile commerce platforms become more secure, consumers are likely to show more interest in them. Mobile commerce has become popular for consumers and hackers alike, with the latter being drawn to the sector by the abundance of financial information that is readily available therein. Some platforms have been criticized for their lackluster security features, which have placed financial information at risk of theft and exploitation in the past, but this criticism has helped the mobile commerce sector become more aware of the threats that exist in the digital world.
