Tag: gartner

Wearable technology will be used by half of consumers for mobile payments

Gartner has predicted that by 2018, about 50 percent of shoppers will use wearables or smartphones to pay for purchases.

Research firm, Gartner Inc., has released a recent prediction that wearable technology will play a tremendously larger role in mobile payments over the next few years, saying that half of all consumers will be using them or smartphones for that purpose by the close of 2018.

This forecast has come at a time in which mobile payments are still only just gaining initial adoption.

In markets such as Japan, North America and many countries throughout Western Europe, mobile payments remain a small but growing transaction technology. Gartner feels that by 2018, they will have become popular enough that fifty percent of consumers will be using their smartphones or wearable technology devices in order to complete transactions at checkout counters in retail stores and restaurants.

This also suggests that Gartner feels that wearable technology will also be growing in its popularity.

Wearable Technology NewsAccording to Gartner principal research analyst, Amanda Sabia, “Innovation in apps, mobile devices and mobile services are impacting traditional business models, particularly in the way people use personal technology for productivity and pleasure.” Sabia also pointed out the importance that product managers come to understand who these shoppers actually are when it comes to catering to new devices and providing services, while discovering just how those gadgets are being used by those customers. “Knowing your customer is imperative in order to capture a fair share of spending opportunities in this dynamic marketplace.”

There were three types of mobile payments that were described by Gartner within its recent report. It identified them as: wearables or smartphone based payments, branded mobile wallets from credit card issuers or banks, or branded mobile wallets from retailers.

Still, Gartner reported that those mobile payments services based on NFC technology – such as Android Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay – will remain limited throughout the length of the forecast period simply because the partnerships between retailers and financial organizations for using smartphones and wearable technology in that way will not yet have been established. Moreover, consumers have yet to see the value in that type of payment transaction.

Mobile commerce is exploding in India

Gartner report shows the growth of India’s digital commerce market

India is quickly becoming one of the world’s leading mobile commerce markets. Overall, digital commerce is growing quickly throughout the country, with consumers beginning to favor shopping online rather than visit physical stores. This is due to the convenient nature of e-commerce, and more consumers are beginning to rely on their mobile devices to get their shopping done. A new report from Gartner highlights the growing power of the digital commerce market in India.

More consumers are beginning to use their mobile devices to shop online

According to the report from Gartner, the Indian digital commerce market has reached $7 billion. While digital commerce represents less than one percent of total retail sales in the country, this market is growing very quickly. The market is still in a nascent stage in India, with relatively low Internet penetration slowing the adoption of online shopping. The market has grown by 40% year on year, with business to business commerce leading the way. Notably, mobile commerce is the primary channel powering the growth of the market.

Low Internet penetration is slowing the adoption of mobile commerce

Mobile Commerce Taking off in IndiaConsumers appear to favor shopping with their smartphones and tablets, as they can get their shopping done no matter where they are in the country. In 2014, more than 40% of all digital commerce transactions came from mobile devices. By the end of this year, more than half of these transactions are expected to come from smartphones and tablets, according to Gartner. The convenient nature of mobile commerce is one of its most attractive features, and more retailers are beginning to embrace the mobile space in order to effectively connect with consumers.

Retailers are embracing the mobile world

As mobile commerce continues to grow, retailers are likely to become more mobile-centric, offering new services to online shoppers. Financial institutions are also embracing the mobile space, introducing new applications that allow consumers to manage their finances with their mobile devices. India is expected to become one of the most prominent mobile commerce markets in the world in the coming years.