Mobile shopping is accelerating at a rapid rate throughout the country
Internet Retailer has released its latest report concerning the mobile commerce space in the United States. More consumers have begun using their mobile devices to purchase products in the retail space, as well as several other sectors. As such, the market has been experiencing healthy growth and more merchants are beginning to focus on the mobile space in order to adequately engage consumers. This growth has shown no signs of slowing down in the foreseeable future.
Mobile commerce sales predicted to reach $104 billion by the end of this year
According to the report from internet Retailer, mobile commerce sales in the U.S. are expected to reach $104 billion this year. This represents a 38.7% increase over the mobile commerce sales that were reported last year. The report estimates that mobile commerce is growing 2.58 times faster than the e-commerce market, which is predicted to grow by 15% this year, reaching $350 billion. While e-commerce still represents a stronger force in the retail sector, mobile is becoming a more important focus for retailers.
US lags behind other countries in terms of mobile spending
While mobile commerce is growing quickly in the United States, this growth is lagging significantly behind other markets around the world. The report shows that the mobile commerce market is growing much quicker in Asia, with 14 of the region’s most prominent retailers reporting mobile sales growing by a compound annual growth rate of nearly 250%. In Europe, the mobile commerce market is growing 1.82 times faster than what is being seen in the U.S.
Retailers are becoming mobile-centric
By the end of this year, mobile commerce is expected to account for nearly 30% of all e-commerce sales made in the United States, an increase of 24.6% over what was reported in 2014. Many retailers are beginning to focus their efforts on mobile consumers, offering them new ways to shop for products online and in a convenient fashion. As these services become more available, mobile commerce is expected to continue experiencing healthy growth throughout the country.
Social media company hopes to find success with latest e-commerce initiative
Facebook is moving forward with its latest push into the e-commerce space. The social media company has had trouble in this sector before, as its previous e-commerce projects have proven to have little impact and failed to attract support from consumers. Facebook may have found a way to effectively engage consumers, however, with its new shopping feature that it has begun testing with a small number of merchants.
Merchants will be able to sell products directly through Facebook
With Facebook’s latest attempt to break into the e-commerce space, brands will be able to display their products on their Facebook page. Consumers will be able to find information about these products and make a purchase without having to leave the page itself, making digital shopping more convenient. This is not a new concept for Facebook, of course, as it first began inviting brands to use the social media site as their business gateway in 2009.
Company’s previous e-commerce endeavors have failed
By 2011, Facebook had convinced several large companies, including Nordstrom and GameStop, to open digital stores on the social media site. Through these stores, the brands would sell products, but consumers would be directed to a dedicated e-commerce site operated by the merchant they were purchasing products from. The initiative proved to be fruitless, however, as merchants saw no significant increase in sales or engagement. The companies participating in the initiative closed their digital stores on Facebook within a year.
Social media companies see great promise in the e-commerce space
Facebook is not the only social media company that is trying to find success in the e-commerce space. Twitter and Pinterest have also begun experimenting with “buy” buttons, with their focus leaning more toward mobile consumers interested in shopping online. Even search giant Google is focusing more heavily on the e-commerce space, giving merchants a way to sell products directly through display ads. These companies have, thus far, seen limited success in their endeavors, but they have high hopes for the e-commerce space, especially when it comes to the number of growing mobile shoppers.