Consumers begin growing more interested in mobile commerce
Consumers are becoming increasingly mobile. That does not mean that they are moving around more often; it means that mobile technology is beginning to play a very important role in their daily lives. This trend has become most apparent in the shopping behavior of consumers, who are beginning to rely more heavily on their smartphones and tablets to make purchases. Mobile commerce is on the rise, and it may soon replace traditional retail due to the convenience it offers consumers.
Report shows that consumers are spending more time on mobile shopping
comScore, a leading market research firm, has released a new report titled “State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy Q1 2013.” As the name suggests, the report details the trends that exist as well as those that are emerging in the retail industry of the U.S. The report shows that mobile commerce has begun gaining significant momentum as more consumers begin to favor their smartphones and tablets for shopping online.
Mobile shopping has become an overwhelmingly popular pastime
According to the report, the time that consumers spent in online retail rose by 104% in February of this year over the levels it had been in February of 2010. Consumers spent a cumulative total of 34.9 billion minutes in online shopping, the vast majority of which was devoted to shopping through mobile devices. The report suggests that mobile commerce has become a powerful force in the U.S. retail sector, driving many companies to develop and utilize their own mobile commerce services in order to appeal to consumers.
Smartphones trump tablets when it comes to mobile commerce
The report also shows that smartphones continue to be more popular than tablets when it comes to mobile commerce. As of March 2013, 34% of the time spent by consumers in online shopping came from smartphones, where 14% came from tablet devices. Tablets are gaining some momentum in mobile commerce, however, as they garner acclaim for their larger screens that allow for better navigation and a more enjoyable shopping experience.
