Tag: mobile commerce shopping

comScore report highlights the performance of mobile commerce

| December 4, 2012

 

comScore releases final report on holiday shopping weekend

comScore has released its final repMobile Commerce Thanksgiving Shopping Reportort on the most significant holiday shopping weekend of the year. Thanksgiving marked the beginning of a shopping marathon for millions of consumers. Shopping finally came to an end on Cyber Monday, leaving many consumers content with the multitude of deals they were able to snag from retailers. comScore has been reporting on the performance of each of the major shopping days of the weekend: Thanksgiving day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. The firm has released its last report on this year’s extravaganza, showing that mobile commerce has played a major role.

More than $2.86 billion in sales recorded this year

According to comScore, retail sales set new records this year as retailers moved to engage mobile consumers in a more dynamic way. Retailers have been frantically adopting mobile commerce platforms in order to provide mobile consumers with more convenient services. comScore notes that e-commerce sites have been the most popular of these platforms and have accounted for more than $2.86 billion in sales during the holiday shopping weekend.

$750 million in mobile sales

Cyber Monday saw online sales of $1.46 billion, much of which is made up from mobile purchases. Over the entire holiday shopping weekend, more than $750 million in sales came from mobile consumers who used their smart phones or tablets to purchase products directly from retailers. The comScore report shows that the most growth seen during the holiday shopping weekend happened on Thanksgiving day. Traditionally, retailers did not offer their major deals until Black Friday. This year, however, companies began offering deals on Thanksgiving, hoping to kick start the holiday shopping weekend.

More retailers expected to show interest in mobile commerce

Though retailers saw the most mobile traffic on Cyber Monday, mobile commerce had a strong showing throughout the entire weekend. Consumers have shown interest in mobile commerce because of the convenience it provides them while shopping. The major success of mobile commerce initiatives during the holiday shopping weekend is likely to pave the way for more retailers to engage mobile consumers in a more serious manner.

Mobile commerce may be dangerous during the holidays

| November 30, 2012

 

mobile commerce holiday shoppingHoliday shopping season highlights dangers of mobile commerce

The holiday season has only just begun, but mobile commerce is already experiencing major success. Consumers are flocking to the concept of using their mobile devices to make purchases and shop for products. Indeed, mobile commerce had a powerful showing on Thanksgiving day and Black Friday, accounting for billions worth of sales. Though consumers have shown major interest in mobile commerce, they may be making some simple mistakes that could be putting their financial information at risk.

Consumers warned to be cautious in December

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection notes that more consumers are making use of their mobile devices to make holiday shopping more convenient. These consumers could be at risk of falling victim to scams and hacking attempts, if they are not careful. The agency has issued a warning to holiday shoppers to be careful during December in an effort to ensure consumers take adequate steps to protect themselves.

Scams can easily take advantage of unaware consumers

The agency suggests that a growing number of mobile e-commerce scams could be putting consumers at risk of exploitation. Such scams are relatively common during the holiday season, but e-commerce and mobile commerce platforms are ideal disguises for such fraudulent activities. The Department of Consumer Protection suggests that it can be easy for some consumers to miss the signs of a scam during the holiday season because they are distracted. Moreover, malicious mobile sites could house malware that can infect a mobile device and leave a consumer’s financial information exposed.

Mobile apps could help protect devices from attacks

The growing popularity of mobile commerce may raise awareness of the security precautions that consumers can take to protect themselves. There are several anti-virus and anti-malware applications available for both Android and iOS platforms that can protect a device from malicious attacks. These applications do not mitigate scams, however, so consumers are advised to pay close attention to the mobile commerce and e-commerce platforms they choose to use during the holiday season.