Tag: mobile commerce retail

Mobile commerce revolutionizing retail

| February 8, 2013

mobile commerce retailMobile commerce begins to reshape the retail industry

When mobile commerce first began showing promise in the mid 2000’s, retailers were very leery of the concept and all but shunned its existence. Much of the retail industry has been slow to warm to the notion of mobile commerce, only paying it serious attention as recently as 2010. Now, however, it has become a difficult task to find a retailer that does not support mobile commerce in some way, and this once shunned phenomenon is beginning to revolutionize the entire industry.

conScore sees major potential in smart phones

There are a vast multitude of market research studies that show that mobile technology has come to play a dominant role in the lives of consumers, especially where shopping is involved. According to comScore, a leading market research firm, smart phones are becoming the medium of choice when it comes to mobile technology, with such devices account for 63% of all mobile devices owned by consumers. These consumers are becoming increasingly interested in using their smart phones to purchase products.

Amazon establishes leadership in mobile commerce due to early adoption

Companies that adopted a strong focus on the mobile space early on have become very powerful in the realm of mobile commerce today. Amazon, for instance, is currently one of the leading powers in the mobile commerce and e-commerce worlds. Amazon’s site registers more than 5 million unique visits every day, the majority of which are also tied to purchases made from a mobile device. comScore notes that mobile search has also come to play a major role in the evolution of the retail industry and its reach to consumers, especially as more people use their mobile devices to browse the Internet.

Mobile devices represent promising opportunities for retailers

According to comScore, an average of 5.7 million smart phone users made online purchases between May and July of 2012. Approximately 13% of these consumers made purchases greater than $250, while the major spent well more than $40 on products they were interested in. eBay is another company that has seen the evolution of the retail industry through mobile commerce, claiming that mobile devices are the equivalent to consumers carrying an entire department store with them wherever they go. According to eBay, these consumers check their mobile devices approximately 40 times a day, giving retailers 40 unique opportunities to engage these consumers on a daily basis.

Mobile commerce is a big hit with Bigcommerce

| February 2, 2013

Mobile commerce big hitBigcommerce marks the increasingly popularity of mobile commerce

Mobile commerce has been a very beneficial force for Bigcommerce, an e-commerce platform catering to small businesses. The platform represents some 30,000 small and medium-sized businesses around the world, many of which have become increasingly interested in engaging mobile consumers. To this end, these companies have been adopting new mobile commerce services. As these companies put more focus on mobile commerce, consumers are becoming more apt to use their mobile devices to shop and purchase products, according to Bigcommerce.

10.2% of 2012 sales were made from mobile devices

Bigcommerce notes that 10.2% of all sales for the companies it represents are coming from smart phones and tablets. This accounts for approximately $84 million in online sales throughout 2012. Sales make through Apple devices, such as the iPhone and iPad, registered $46 million, representing 84% of all online mobile sales during 2012. Bigcommerce notes that the Android platform saw $13 million in sales during the same time period.

Retail industry continues to be a strong supporter of mobile commerce

Mobile commerce has become especially popular within the retail industry. Many retailers had been made aware of the potential gains they could see through engaging mobile consumer several years ago, hence the nearly universal adoption of mobile marketing. Mobile commerce could further these benefits, especially as consumers become more interested in using the smart phones and tablets to shop.

Android may be more plentiful, but not necessarily popular for mobile commerce

The information from Bigcommerce conflicts with information concerning smart phone ownership. Android devices account for 52% of all smart phones in use, while iPhone represent roughly 34%. Bigcommerce notes that the higher number of Android devices available is due to the fact that the platform is licensed to many groups, while the iOS platform is almost entirely exclusive to Apple. Even though the Android seems to be more prevalent, that does not mean that it is more popular in terms of mobile commerce.