Tag: australia mcommerce

Australia has experienced tremendous growth of the use of smartphone and tablet devices for holiday purchases.

The latest mcommerce news from Australia is clearly showing that people living in the land down under enjoy holiday shopping with the help of their smartphones and tablets and have been using them more than ever before throughout this season.

Recent data released by PayPal Australia has revealed that nearly one quarter of Australians have used mobile to buy.

The statistics have indicated that 22 percent of Australians have used a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device for mcommerce purposes throughout the Christmas shopping season. It has been estimated that by the end of 2012, there will have been $5.6 billion worth of purchases made in that country through the use of these devices.

When compared to the figures from previous years, mcommerce has exploded in Australia.

In 2010, the spending over mcommerce in Australia was recorded to be $155 million, which is tremendously lower than this year’s data. These figures are showing a phenomenal growth to the channel.

Among the additional trends that have been observed include the timing of the purchases. For example, over the Christmas period, nearly one in every three purchases that have been made over mcommerce have occurred between the hours of 8pm and midnight. Jeff Clementz, the managing director at PayPal Australia, has said that this indicates a new trend of using smartphones and tablets after the brick and mortar stores have closed.

He explained that “Our data demonstrates that for consumers, there is residual ‘shopping time’ continuing on from the ‘in-store’ experience after they leave the shopping centre, on their mobile devices.” He also went on to add that “Additionally, we are seeing consumers shop in short mission focused bursts on mobile devices as they knock items off their Christmas list while commuting or relaxing at home.”

The information that has been collected over the holiday season regarding the ways in which mcommerce is used by Australians will be very important for defining the way that features and services are offered and campaigns are run over upcoming shopping seasons.

Mobile commerce subject to government investigation

The Australian government has launched an inquiry concerning the experiences consumers are having with downloading applications and applications used to make purchases from mobile devices. Mobile commerce has been growing in popularity in Australia for some time. The country is serving as host to several mobile commerce initiatives, including those coming from the Commonwealth Bank, one of the largest financial groups in the country. The growing popularity of mobile commerce has created a sense of unease from the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council, however, which is concerned for the quality of service and security of consumer financial information.

Simplicity of mobile apps to be investigated

The government agency is to investigate the quality of mobile application downloads to determine whether they are more complicated than they need to be. Some consumers have been issuing complaints regarding the overly complicated nature of some mobile applications, claiming that they are confusing and, at times, misleading. While app downloads are a matter for investigation, the government is much more concerned with in-app purchases.

Consumers raise complaints over in-app purchases

Mobile payments are often a sensitive issue, especially in terms of security. While many consumers have shown interest in making payments through their mobile devices, this can be dangerous and puts their financial information at risk. In regards to in-app payments, the Commonwealth Consumers Affairs Advisory Council notes that consumers are experiencing a great deal of frustration from ramping costs that they cannot easily manage through certain applications. These applications could present a financial threat to some consumers.

Public consultation period to begin within weeks

Consumers and companies operating within the mobile commerce industry are being invited to share their input on the matter with the Australian government. The Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council will be opening up the inquiry for a public consultation period within the coming weeks, hoping to attain a more in-depth understanding of the problems consumers are having with mobile applications and mobile commerce in general.