Tag: united states

Mobile commerce set to see strong growth in the United States

| December 29, 2015

Report shows that mobile commerce will see major growth through 2020

Mobile commerce is expected to see significant growth in the coming years, according to a the Mobile Checkout Report from BI Intelligence. Notably, the report contradicts others in showing that consumers are shopping via mobile browsers rather than applications. This may be bad news for some retailers, as some are beginning to develop their own mobile payments apps in an effort to effectively engage mobile shoppers. Regardless of this, however, more consumers are expected to use their mobile devices to shop online.

Mobile will account for 45% of all online sales by 2020

The report shows that mobile commerce accounted for 12% of the $303 billion e-commerce sales that were recorded in the U.S. last year. By 2020, however, BI Intelligence predicts that mobile will account for 45% of all online sales, with e-commerce sales expected to reach $632 billion that year. The report shows that adult consumers are spending more time shopping on a mobile device, but they are actually making online purchases through other channels.

Digital commerce is growing more quickly than conventional retail

Mobile commerce growthThe growth of digital commerce is outpacing the growth of traditional retail. According to information from the Department of Commerce, retail sales saw a 2% increase during the last quarter of 2014. By comparison, digital commerce saw 15% growth during the same time period. Mobile devices played a major role in the growth of digital commerce, as more consumers are beginning to rely on their smartphones and tablets to get their shopping done.

Retailers are having trouble encouraging consumers to actually make purchases from their mobile devices

Retailers are beginning to find it difficult to convert mobile shoppers into actual paying customers. The report from BI Intelligence shows consumers are quite willing to use their smartphones to browse for products and do research on items they may be interested in. After conducting such research, consumers often go to their computers to make purchases, as they see conventional e-commerce as a convenient way to purchase the products that they are interested in.

Apps remain the favored mobile commerce tool for consumers

| December 24, 2015

PayPal survey shows that retailers are beginning to focus more heavily on young consumers

Retailers are likely to focus more on young consumers in the coming years as mobile commerce becomes more prevalent. A recent survey from PayPal found that some 59% of smartphone shoppers are between the ages of 18 and 34. These consumers are also more likely to conduct their mobile shopping through an application rather than a mobile website. Apps are seen as more convenient by many consumers and they offer a better shopping experience.

Consumers have strong interested in NFC technology

The survey from PayPal found that 47% of consumers prefer to shop through apps rather than mobile browsers. Notably, those preferring to shop with their smartphones noted that the feature they are most interested in seeing in the future is the ability to tap a phone to a payment terminal to make a purchase. This may be good news for companies that are investing in NFC technology, which is used in the mobile commerce space to transmit digital information over short distances.

China is leading the way when it comes to mobile shopping

Mobile Commerce - PayPal SurveyPayPal’s survey found that China is home to the largest mobile shopping population. Approximately 68% of Chinese consumers shop online, either from a mobile device or a computer. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey follow behind China, with healthy online shopping activity. The most commonly purchased product purchased by China’s mobile shoppers were leisure products. In the United States, consumers used their mobile devices to purchase food and drink more than any other product category.

Retailers are beginning to focus more on apps rather than mobile websites

While consumers reported that mobile-friendly websites would encourage them to shop more frequently, they still prefer applications. Apps are often seen as more secure and capable of meeting the needs of consumers. Retailers have been working to improve their mobile websites, but a growing number of these companies have begun relying on apps in order to effectively engage consumers. Some retailers are also beginning to develop their own mobile commerce apps, hoping to secure a new generation of mobile shoppers.