yStat predicts mobile commerce to continue gaining momentum in Europe
A recent report from yStat, a m
arket research firm based in Germany, shows that mobile commerce is one the rise in Germany and much of the rest of Europe. Retailers have been showing strong support for mobile commerce, largely because of the interest consumers have been showing in the same concept. Consumers around the world are beginning to rely more heavily on their smart phones and tablets, thus presenting an opportunity for a new form of commerce to take root. Mobile commerce represents a major opportunity for retailers that are able to attract the attention of these consumers.
2012 may be one of the most successful years for the retail industry
According to yStat, revenue from m-commerce and e-commerce gateways is expected to have shown major growth in 2012, with retail sales made through mobile platforms accounting for a sizeable portion of this growth. Online-only businesses, such as eBay and Amazon, are likely to find that they have performed well in Germany. yStat notes that mobile sales in 2012 have already shown signs of aggressive consumer adoption in the realm of mobile commerce.
Reputation dictates spending
yStat predicts that the number of consumers that use digital platforms to make purchases will increase well into 2016. Mobile commerce will play a big role in this growth as consumers gain access to more convenient, secure, and feature-filled services. While mobile commerce platforms have to provide consumers with expedient and convenient services in order to be considered viable, the reputation of a retailer is more important when it comes to mobile shopping. According to yStat, consumers are more likely to spend money online with a company that they believe can be trusted.
Amazon ahead of the curve
yStat notes that Amazon is well ahead of the curve when it comes to mobile commerce in Germany. The company has long held a powerful presence in the online, space, but has been working to broaden its reach to mobile consumers recently. The company’s efforts seem to be paying off, as Amazon experienced powerful growth in terms of mobile sales this year.
Static augmented reality may be a thing of the past
Augmented reality has managed to make its way into the mainstream, thanks largely to the support of tech-savvy consumers around the world. Typically, augmented reality comes as a feature in mobile applications. These applications often rely heavily on the sensors of mobile devices as well as a static dataset that paints digital content over the real world. Augmented reality itself is a very dynamic technology, thus the static nature of mobile applications may be hampering the technology’s capabilities.
Professors work to make innovative breakthroughs in technology
Professors Matthew Turk and Tobias Hollerer from the University of California – Santa Barbara, have been working to make augmented reality mobile applications much more dynamic. The professors envision a future for augmented reality where the technology is more stable, practical, and capable of higher levels of engagement with consumers. Turk and Hollerer have been research ways to incorporate real-time computer vision into augmented reality applications, which would allow these applications to become much more dynamic in their ability to overlay digital content onto the real world.
Augmented reality showing a stronger presence in mobile commerce
Augmented reality has become a very popular tool in entertainment and marketing. Even leashed by the static nature of most mobile applications, the technology has been able to provide consumers with a wide range of interactivity. Augmented reality has begun breaking away from its traditional fields recently, and entering that of mobile commerce. While mobile commerce often refers to the practice of making purchases with a mobile device, the term also encompasses mobile shopping. Augmented reality has been growing in popularity amongst mobile shoppers because of its capabilities of providing these consumers with context sensitive information on particular products.
Grants help fund ambitious research
Turk and Hollerer have recently been awarded two grants; one from the Office of Naval Research, and another from the National Science Foundation. These grants are helping fund the professors’ work in their so called “anywhere” augmented reality application. The concept strongly focuses on making augmented reality possible no matter where a person may be.
