Overall, the channel has shown growth of approximately 35 percent.
There have been two reports that have recently been published that have indicated that while mobile shopping is taking off, it is likely t-commerce that is having the largest impact in that area.
Smartphones and tablets are becoming an important channel for content consumption.
In this area, they are being used more often for activities such as social networking and viewing videos, but this also involves finding out information about products and comparison shopping. That said, as much as more people shop over mobile as a whole, it looks as though it is t-commerce that is headed toward taking over the channel, despite the fact that its penetration isn’t nearly as great.
Both the number of sales and the value of the purchases is greater over t-commerce than smartphones.
The first study was from 41st Parameter, and its information shows that there has been an overall increase in mobile shopping from last year to this year. Comparatively, in the whole of ecommerce, there was an increase of 15 percent. Non-mobile online shopping still made up 80 percent of the total purchases, but the share that belonged to smartphones and tablets was still notable, considering that it has increased by 6 percent when compared to the same time last year.
Another study, this one by Adroit Digital, indicated that if given the choice, 55 percent of consumers would replace their desktop computers with a tablet. More than half (52 percent) of tablet owners use their devices for watching television, while another half (50 percent) report that they also used them for seeking out information. Equally, the general manager of the company, Scott German, reported that the popularity of these devices is not surprising.
What they found notable was the shift in behavior toward using the devices for t-commerce, and viewing content, in addition to researching purchases. German stated that “If brand marketers and advertisers don’t have a plan for tablet messaging, advertising, and commerce, they can risk their brand’s relevance.” This is particularly true as 56 percent of tablet users would rather use those devices to engage with ads than on their personal computers.
BWild |
December 14, 2012
Tablet commerce finding traction during the holidays
Mobile shopping is nothing new, dating back to 1997 with Wireless Application Protocol sites, those that facilitate access to information over a mobile wireless network. Throughout the years, mobile shopping has evolved to become something that is wildly popular among tech-savvy consumers. This is becoming especially true for tablet users, who are beginning to represent a sizeable share of the mobile consumer base. Deloitte, a UK-based consulting firm, as well as several other market research firms, expects that tablet commerce will see a great deal of attention during this year’s holiday season.
Consumers becoming more interested in tablet commerce
Tablet commerce is a form of mobile commerce that refers specifically to the use of tablet devices, such as the iPad. Tablets are becoming more popular among consumers because of their wider range of capabilities, which trump most conventional smart phones. This is especially true in the publishing space, where magazines, newspapers, and other publications are seeing a great deal of growth through the offering of digital editions designed specifically for tablets.
Forecasts predict tablets to account for major financial activity during Christmas season
Deloitte predicts that more than $400 million in sales will be made in the United Kingdom directly through smart phones during the Christmas season. Tablet commerce is expected to perform much better, with Deloitte forecasting more than $550 million in sales coming directly from tablets. Adobe’s Digital Index 2012 Online Shopping Forecast predicts that tablets will account for nearly 8% of all sales made in the United Kingdom during the Christmas season this year, up from the 3% share they held in the same period of 2011.
UK retailers beginning to take mobile commerce more seriously
British retailers are showing more serious interest in mobile shopping for tablets as well. Retailers are beginning to develop services that are specifically designed for tablet devices, rather than smart phones. Applications for tablets are becoming much more common and could help influence more shopping activity among mobile consumers that are interested in using their mobile devices to find and pay for products than participate in traditional forms of commerce and shopping.
