Mobile commerce shows promising growth in the United Kingdom
Mobile commerce has be
en growing in popularity in the United Kingdom. Several UK retailers and other businesses have begun adopting mobile commerce as a way to engage a new generation of consumers. Many UK consumers have become heavily reliant on their mobile devices, thus creating a promising opportunity for businesses to engage these people wherever they may be. A new study from Affiliate Window, an affiliate network based in the UK, shows that the efforts that companies are putting into mobile engagement are beginning to pay off.
Study shows mobile activity spikes by 13% in October
According to the study, mobile activity in the UK has grown by more than 13% in October, up from the 12% it had been in September of this year. The study suggests that the growth is largely due to the excitement being generated by the approaching holiday season. UK retailers are keen to ensure that the most important time of the year for them will pull in as many consumers as possible. These retailers have chosen mobile marketing as a way to engage consumers and have adopted mobile commerce to provide them with convenient services.
Android outperforms iOS
The study shows that sales made through mobile devices, including tablets, has reached 10.7% in the UK. This marks major progress in terms of UK mobile commerce, as this is more than double the mobile sales that were recorded in October 2011.The study also shows that the Android platform is the most popular amongst mobile consumers when it comes to purchase made from a mobile device. The platform saw a 26% growth in sales volume during September of this year, more than the 17% the iOS platform saw during the same period.
Momentum may dwindle after holiday season
Affiliate Window notes that much of the hype surrounding mobile commerce and activity is largely due to the upcoming holiday season. Retailers have been making a concerted effort to promote the services they offer mobile consumers. Whether mobile commerce will continue to grow in popularity after the holiday season has ended has yet to be seen.
Weve emerges from floundering consortium
Mobile commerce is on the rise in the United Kingdom, but the consortium that would have established itself as a unified platform for the various NFC efforts that were taking root in the country has gone through a turbulent rebranding stage. The consortium, formerly known as Project Oscar, was comprised of mobile operators, financial institutions, and some technology companies, all of which had big hopes for NFC technology and mobile commerce. This consortium has been rebranded as Weve and has adopted a new focus that is very different from what the vision had been in the past.
Consortium was meant to provide platform for NFC applications
In the past, when Weve was still Project Oscar, the purpose of the consortium was to provide a standard platform for all companies interested in mobile commerce. These companies could import their NFC-based applications onto the platform, which would enable them to reach consumers across several mobile networks. The idea was that the companies that participated in the consortium would get a cut of the profits made through fees imposed on each transaction made through the NFC applications it supported. This quickly became unpopular when companies like Visa and MasterCard suggested they had no intention of sharing their profits.
Weve shifts focus toward mobile marketing
The newly branded Weve is shifting its focus away from NFC technology and toward mobile marketing. The consortium has seen its ability to promote mobile commerce through NFC technology flounder and is looking for a way to provide a unified platform for businesses that is not entirely focused on a niche technology. Thus, the consortium will serve as a platform for various mobile commerce initiatives and those concerned with marketing to mobile consumers. Weve will not abandon NFC technology, but the technology with not be its sole focus going forward.
Mobile marketing may be a turbulent sector for Weve
Weve is keen to push the concept of mobile advertisements amongst businesses, but these advertisements have not been performing well for some of their largest proponents. Both Google and Facebook have invested heavily into mobile marketing and have found that mobile advertisements are not faring well with many consumers.
