Retailers in Australia embrace mobile payments

Retailers are flocking to mobile commerce more quickly than consumers are in Australia

Australian retailers are adopting mobile payments faster than consumers, according to Vend, a New Zealand vendor that develops point-of-sale tools for traditional retail stores. Consumers have been showing relatively strong interest in the concept of mobile commerce, but only a modest amount of these people have actually begun participating in mobile shopping. Retailers, however, have been aggressive in their adoption of mobile commerce, hoping to engage a consumer base that is becoming more mobile-centric.

Retail sector continues to aggressively adapt to changes in the business landscape

Australia’s retail sector has always been somewhat ahead when it comes to matters of commerce. Retailers in the country are often quick to adopt new technology that allows them to better engage consumers in a dynamic way. The problem, however, is that consumers are not as enthusiastic when it comes to some of the moves that retailers are making. Mobile commerce is still relatively new and while retailers have high hopes for the mobile space, many consumers are wary of the threats that exist therein.

Consumers are still wary of mobile commerce and its security issues

Many people have cited security issues as their reason for not participating in mobile commerce. Because mobile commerce involves the trafficking of financial information over mobile platforms, this sector has become particularly attractive to malicious groups that would be interested in exploiting this financial information. In Australia, consumers are more apt to favor traditional forms of payment rather than mobile forms. Part of this mentality may be due to poor experiences that consumers may have had with mobile commerce platforms in the past.

Many consumers are comfortable with traditional payment methods and have had bad experiences with mobile commerce platforms

Changing consumer behavior is not likely to be an easy feat. Retailers have been promoting mobile payments for some time but have found relatively little traction. Consumers have become quite comfortable with the way they shop and pay for products. New forms of payments can make some people uncomfortable and unwilling to use mobile platforms while shopping. Poorly designed mobile commerce platforms can also have an adverse effect on people’s opinions concerning mobile commerce.