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.
BWild |
September 13, 2013
Apple unveils iPhone 5S and 5C
Apple revealed its highly anticipated iPhone 5S this week during a special press event, but the famed technology company also unveiled some unexpected products as well. Apple has been fighting to maintain its market share in the mobile sector for some time, and this fight has became more desperate when long-time rival Samsung took the top spot in the global market. In an effort to boost device sales, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5C, which is meant to be a low-end smartphone designed to appeal to the world’s low-income populace.
New 5S could be a hint at Apple’s mobile payments interests
Apple’s event was enough to generate hype among long-time supporters of the company. The iPhone 5S has won praise for the new features it offers, the most notable of which is fingerprint sensor technology that could make the device much more secure than its predecessors. This technology could also help Apple break into the mobile payments space, which the company has been approaching with caution for some time. While Apple sees a great deal of promise in mobile payments, the company considers this sector to be somewhat dangerous due to the lackluster security features that some payment platforms offer.
Fingerprint technology may help make mobile payments more secure
While Apple has not yet made an announcement concerning its plans for mobile payments, the iPhone 5S could provide some insight on where the company is heading in this sector. Equipped with a fingerprint scanner, the iPhone 5S is able to function as the most secure mobile payments platform available. The technology is able to authorize payments more effectively than conventional platforms, many of which are based on NFC technology. Apple considered NFC technology to be lackluster for mobile payments because the technology is susceptible to hacking, putting a consumer’s financial information at risk.
5C designed for low-income consumers
The iPhone 5C and other models are not designed with mobile payments in mind. The 5C is meant to appeal to low-income consumers who have an interest in smartphones but not necessarily enough money to purchase cutting-edge models. The iPhone 5C is expected to retail for approximately $99, whereas the iPhone 5S will feature a significantly higher price tag.
