Tag: retail industry

Report shows 23% of online sales come through mobile commerce

| September 6, 2013

Mobile commerce having an impact on online sales

IMRG, a retail industry association based in the United Kingdom, has released a new report concerning mobile commerce. The report shows that mobile shopping is becoming more common among consumers. This may be due to the fact that mobile commerce firms are beginning to take issues like security and efficiency more seriously. As mobile commerce platforms become more secure, consumers are becoming more likely to use these platforms. Efficient platforms also improve the shopping experience, further encouraging consumers to participate in mobile commerce in the future.

23% of online sales now come from mobile devices

The report shows that mobile commerce now accounts for 23% of online sales in the second quarter of 2013. This is an 11.6% increase over what mobile sales had been during the same period in the previous year. While sales are increasing, the report shows that mobile devices are primarily used to research products rather than purchase them outright. While this means that more consumers are using their mobile devices to enhance their shopping experience, it shows that many have yet to ease into the mobile commerce space.

Mobile Commerce ReportSurvey shows majority of smartphone owners have yet to make a mobile payment

A similar survey was recently released by market research firm Econsultancy that shows 51% of smartphone owners have not made a mobile payment with their device in the past six months. Many of these consumers have expressed interest in mobile commerce, but have chosen not to participate due to security concerns and other issues. Security is currently one of the most significant hurdles barring the aggressive progress of the mobile commerce sector.

Security proves to be a problematic issue for mobile commerce

As mobile commerce platforms become more secure, consumers are likely to show more interest in them. Mobile commerce has become popular for consumers and hackers alike, with the latter being drawn to the sector by the abundance of financial information that is readily available therein. Some platforms have been criticized for their lackluster security features, which have placed financial information at risk of theft and exploitation in the past, but this criticism has helped the mobile commerce sector become more aware of the threats that exist in the digital world.

Mobile commerce is blossoming in Japan

| June 11, 2013

Japan sees strong growth in mobile commerce

Mobile commerce is growing quickly in Japan. Consumers in many of the country’s largest cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka, are beginning to favor shopping on their mobile devices. These consumers had already been heavily exposed to e-commerce and the world of online shopping, making the transition to mobile commerce significantly easier. According to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, mobile commerce grew by 16.2% in 2011 and continues to grow as more consumers become comfortable with the notion of purchasing products with their smartphones and tablets.

Fashion sector sees major boost from mobile sales

Mobile commerce has had a dramatic impact on several sectors of the retail industry, but Japan’s fashion sector has been seeing the majority of this impact in recent months. Zozotown, one of the country’s leading fashion retailers specializing in e-commerce, reports that it has seen no less than 40% of its sales come from mobile devices in 2012. Rakutan, another Japanese e-commerce company, notes that 30% of its sales have come through mobile commerce over the same time frame.

Japanese Mobile Commerce - Retail IndustryNew companies showing strong interest in Japanese mobile commerce

The growing proclivity among Japanese consumers when it comes to mobile commerce has lead to something of a surge in mobile commerce applications. Many organizations recognize the growth of mobile commerce in Japan as a powerful opportunity and have been working to introduce new applications and mobile payments platforms to the country in recent months. New capital has lead to the emergence of new startups that aim to be the next big name in mobile commerce and this has lead to a marked increase in the competition that exists in this particular field.

Small companies may be unable to compete with larger companies

While more competition can be good for consumers, it is not necessarily good for businesses. Startup company’s may have high ambitious, but whether or not they will be able to compete with much larger companies that have already established a strong presence in the mobile commerce sector has yet to be seen. So far, consumers appear to favor the platforms supported by larger companies they are more familiar with than those coming from largely unknown organizations.