IBM report shows that mobile traffic and shopping is on the rise in the US
Mobile now accounts for nearly half of all online retail traffic in the United States, according to the latest IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. The report highlights the growing importance of the mobile space and how it is having a major impact on commerce in the digital world. The report makes note of the mobile commerce activity on Valentine’s Day, showcasing an increase in mobile shopping over what was recorded on the same day in the previous year.
Mobile traffic accounts for nearly half of all online retail traffic this year
According to the report, online shopping, as a whole, grew by 10% on Valentine’s Day. This may be due to numerous factors, including cold weather and powerful storms in some parts of the country. The report shows that mobile traffic accounted for 46.5% of all online traffic, highlighting the fact that many consumers are now using their smartphones and tablets to shop online. Higher traffic does not represent more sales, however.
Mobile commerce still represents a small portion of digital sales when compared to PC
The report shows that mobile commerce represented 23% of all online sales, which is a 35% increase over mobile commerce sales last year. Mobile still represents a relatively small portion of online retail sales, however, as sales made from PCs remain the most significant force in online retail. The report shows that tablet users typically spent more than their smartphone counterparts. Tablet users spend an average of $98.56 per order, whereas smartphone users spent an average of $92.37 per order.
Mobile commerce continues to thrive because of its convenient nature
While PC still dominates the online retail space, mobile commerce is beginning to become a more prominent force. Many consumers are opting to shop for and purchase products from their mobile devices because of how convenient such a practice is. In the coming years, it is likely to become more common for consumers to participate in mobile commerce, especially during the holidays, when they want to avoid crowds and enjoy a convenient shopping experience.
Bank introduces the Rabo Wallet, which supports NFC-based mobile payments
Rabobank, a Dutch multinational bank, has launched a new application that will facilitate mobile payments. The app supports NFC technology and is currently available for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. Named Rabo Wallet, the new app serves as the bank’s next step in engaging mobile consumers. With mobile payments growing more popular throughout the world, banks have begun to launch services that support these transactions in order to meet the needs of their customers.
Companies partner to make a new mobile payments platform possible
Rabobank has partnered with Giesecke & Devrient and Samsung in order to launch the new application. This partnership has made it possible for the companies to engage mobile consumers more effectively and will make use of services and technologies developed by both Giesecke & Devrient and Samsung. These services are expected to make Rabo Wallet a valuable tool for consumers that are interested in making payments with their mobile devices, balance their bank accounts, and store loyalty points that are offered by retailers.
Mobile wallet features are becoming more popular as consumers show greater interest in mobile payments
Mobile wallets are quite similar to their physical counterparts. These applications are designed to store financial information digitally, making it easier to access this information. These applications are widely used by those that wish to conduct mobile payments and several mobile wallets have been released in the past two years. There is a great deal of competition in the mobile payments space because of the number of wallet applications that are currently available, making it difficult for a singular platform to stand out among consumers.
Rabobank may help bring more security to the digital payments space
Mobile wallets have recently come under harsh criticism for their exposure to digital threats. Many platforms do not have the adequate security measures in place to stop hackers from stealing consumer financial information. Rabobank has extensive experience when it comes to security, however, which may ensure that Rabo Wallet is able to keep the information of its users safe from exploitation.