Tag: wearables

Wearables are gaining ground with eBay

Wearable devices may be the next big thing for eBay. The company has reported that it has seen a major increase in sales following the launch of its first application for the Apple Watch, a new device released by Apple at the end of April. The device has managed to attract a great deal of interest, especially those that have shown favor for mobile commerce, which involves the purchase of products with a mobile device, both online and in physical stores.

Growing number of consumers are showing interest in wearable devices as mobile commerce continues to thrive

eBay has played a major role in the e-commerce world for many years, but the company is beginning to show a greater interest in the mobile space. The growing number of consumers with smartphones has provided eBay, as well as other retailers, with a promising opportunity. Mobile commerce has become a significant force in the world of commerce and many companies are beginning to become mobile-centric in order to cater to the needs of consumers that are interested in mobile shopping.

50% of eBay shoppers purchased from the technology category in 2014

According to the report from eBay, more than 50% of its customers bought products in the technology category in 2014. Wearable devices are included in this category and a large portion of shoppers purchased these devices through the e-commerce platform. These devices appear to be particularly popular in Australia, where consumers have become enthralled with the convenient nature of these devices and their ability to perform in the mobile commerce space.

Wearable devices could have a major impact on the growth of mobile commerce

Not all wearable devices are designed with mobile commerce in mind. Some of these devices are developed for the purpose of tracking health information or connecting to social networks. A growing number of these devices are cropping up with the ability to facilitate mobile shopping. In Australia, these devices are becoming more common, which is giving a greater number of consumers the ability to participate in the mobile commerce space.

A new forecast from Roy Morgan Research says that Australians will soon buy more wearable technology.

Independent research firm, Roy Morgan Research, has released a prediction that has said that the claims of intention to buy a smartwatch by Australians currently reflects the types of figures that were generated about the intention to purchase smartphones back when those devices were in their infancy.

For that reason, the firm believes that Australia will soon start to see a notable growth in wearable technology.

The study included the participation of about 520,000 Australians and ran from January through April 2015. What was found was that 2.7 percent of the people who took part said that they felt that they would purchase a smartwatch within the following year. Though that figure may seem rather small, it may be more important than it appears, as the firm pointed out that early studies with regards to the intent to purchase an iPhone – back when that device had only just hit the market – were very similar. Back then, 3.6 percent of Australian survey respondents said that they were considering buying one within the first four months of its entry to the market.

What has yet to be seen is whether the trends for the smartwatch will continue to parallel those of the smartphone.

It is currently estimated that there are nearly 13 million iPhone owners in Australia. That type of future for wearable technology within the country is clearly nothing to sniff at. Furthermore, when respondents were asked about whether they would prefer to purchase an Apple Watch or if they would rather invest in the wearables from another brand, the figures showed that a similar percentage want the Apple product in wearable technology as was the case with smartphones.

Among those who are interested in the devices, a comparable percentage would prefer an Apple Watch to that of other brands as was the case when an iPhone was the choice over other smartphones within the first four months of its release.

What is interesting is that even the age profile of those who are interested in the smartwatch is similar to the figures from 2008 when the iPhone was new.