Tag: deloitte

Survey highlights the changing behavior of consumers that have become dependent on mobile technology

Deloitte, a leading professional services firm, has released a new survey highlighting mobile consumer behavior. The survey suggests that people in the United States are becoming increasingly obsessed with their mobile devices. Approximately 90% of consumers check their devices within the first hour of being awake and 23% look at their devices up to 50 times throughout the day. This growing dependence on mobile technology is spurring the evolution of commerce, making it more mobile-centric.

Growing awareness of mobile technology is making consumers more comfortable with shopping on their smartphones and tablets

The survey shows that people are becoming more informed about the price of mobile devices and data services offered by major carriers. As such, they are finding better deals and becoming more resistant to marketing campaigns that highlight unattractive service deals. Growing comfort with mobile devices is leading consumers to dabble in mobile commerce and payments. More people are shopping online from their mobile devices, opting to use their smartphones and tablets to purchase products from retailers.

In-store mobile payment support is lacking among retailers, despite strong interest in mobile commerce and mobile shopping

While consumers are showing interest in using their mobile devices to shop online, the survey shows that in-store mobile payment support is currently lacking. Many retailers are willing to support mobile shopping online, but will not do so in their physical stores. Introducing mobile payment system to physical stores can be a costly venture and some retailers are not yet convinced that mobile commerce is a worthwhile investment.

NFC technology continues to play a major role in the mobile commerce market and NFC-enabled devices are becoming more common

The survey shows that 31% of consumers with NFC-enabled mobile devices have used their device to make a payment in the past month. NFC technology currently makes up much of the backbone upon which mobile commerce is based. NFC-enabled devices have become quite common in the United States and have helped consumers become more involved in the mobile commerce space.

Tablet commerce finding traction during the holidays

Mobile shopping is nothing new, dating back to 1997 with Wireless Application Protocol sites, those that facilitate access to information over a mobile wireless network. Throughout the years, mobile shopping has evolved to become something that is wildly popular among tech-savvy consumers. This is becoming especially true for tablet users, who are beginning to represent a sizeable share of the mobile consumer base. Deloitte, a UK-based consulting firm, as well as several other market research firms, expects that tablet commerce will  see a great deal of attention during this year’s holiday season.

Consumers becoming more interested in tablet commerce

Tablet commerce is a form of mobile commerce that refers specifically to the use of tablet devices, such as the iPad. Tablets are becoming more popular among consumers because of their wider range of capabilities, which trump most conventional smart phones. This is especially true in the publishing space, where magazines, newspapers, and other publications are seeing a great deal of growth through the offering of digital editions designed specifically for tablets.

Forecasts predict tablets to account for major financial activity during Christmas season

Deloitte predicts that more than $400 million in sales will be made in the United Kingdom directly through smart phones during the Christmas season. Tablet commerce is expected to perform much better, with Deloitte forecasting more than $550 million in sales coming directly from tablets. Adobe’s Digital Index 2012 Online Shopping Forecast predicts that tablets will account for nearly 8% of all sales made in the United Kingdom during the Christmas season this year, up from the 3% share they held in the same period of 2011.

UK retailers beginning to take mobile commerce more seriously

British retailers are showing more serious interest in mobile shopping for tablets as well. Retailers are beginning to develop services that are specifically designed for tablet devices, rather than smart phones. Applications for tablets are becoming much more common and could help influence more shopping activity among mobile consumers that are interested in using their mobile devices to find and pay for products than participate in traditional forms of commerce and shopping.