Written by Stephen Vagus

Author: Stephen

Alibaba finds success in mobile commerce

Stephen | November 17, 2014

Mobile strategy helps Alibaba set a new Singles Day sales record

Alibaba has set a new Singles Day sales record this year. Singles Day is China’s equivalent to Black Friday in the United States and is one of the country’s largest shopping days of the year. Alibaba, and other retail organizations, often set their sights on Singles Day as a chance to recover from any financial losses they may have seen over the past few quarters. This year, Singles Day has proven to be a major success for most retailers, especially those focusing on mobile commerce.

$9.3 billion in sales were made by Alibaba on Singles Day this year

According to Alibaba, more than $9.3 billion in sales were made during Singles Day, a significant increase over the $5.8 billion the company saw during the same day last year. This monumental success has driven Alibaba’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange higher as investors see more hope in the company’s retail endeavors. Much of the company’s success has been because of its focus on the mobile commerce space, which has become quite active throughout China.

Mobile commerce is thriving in China

Mobile Commerce Success China is home to the world’s largest mobile Internet user base, with more than 527 million active users. These people are quite interested in shopping online from a mobile device and regularly use a wide range of mobile payment applications on a daily basis. During the second quarter of this year, some $27 billion in mobile spending was reported in China, accounting for 26% of all online transactions made in the country. By 2016, mobile shopping is expected to account for more than 50% of all online transactions made in China.

Alibaba to continue focusing on the mobile space

Alibaba’s strategy to engage mobile consumers has proven to be particularly successful. The company has been investing more heavily in the mobile space in recent years, hoping to capitalize on the popularity of mobile commerce. Alibaba plans to continue focusing on the mobile space for the foreseeable future, hoping to establish yet more dominance among mobile consumers.

Nearly half of all online sales in Europe could come from mobile commerce by 2018

Stephen | November 13, 2014

New report highlights the rapid growth of the mobile shopping space in the coming years

Forrester Research has published a new report concerning online sales throughout Europe. A growing number of consumers in European countries are beginning to favor shopping online, purchasing products and having them delivered directly to their homes. The report predicts that online shopping will continue to gain momentum throughout Europe in the coming years. Mobile commerce is expected to play a major role in the digital space as well, especially as more people become comfortable with using mobile-centric services offered by retailers and other businesses.

49% of all digital sales throughout Europe may be made from a mobile device by 2018

According to the report, mobile commerce is expected to account for 49% of all online sales in Europe by 2018. Mobile spending is expected to reach approximately $25 billion by the time, nearly representing the majority of all digital spending made in Europe. Tablets are likely to account for a significant portion of mobile spending, as these devices are quickly becoming a favored mobile commerce platform among consumers.

Adoption of mobile commerce is accelerating rapidly

Mobile Commerce - Europe The adoption of mobile commerce among businesses and consumers have been growing rapidly over the past two years. Retailers have begun seeing people using their mobile devices while shopping more regularly, with many of these people using their smartphones and tablets to research products before making a purchase. In order to engage the mobile audience, many retailers have begun adopting mobile-centric services, particularly those that facilitate mobile payments.

Retailers could find significant success by supporting the mobile audience

As people become more comfortable with mobile shopping, they are beginning to do so more regularly. Retailers that are moving to support this could see significant success in the coming years, while those that resist mobile commerce may find it difficult to connect with consumers. The mobile space is expected to be particularly active during the holiday season, during which many people may seek to exploit the convenience that mobile commerce has to offer them.