Mobile shopping set to rocket this Christmas

 

Predictions for a massive boom in shopping via mobile devices this Christmas.

Experts are predicting a “breakthrough year” for mobile e-commerce as research shows that 35% of people are planning to use their mobiles and tablets to do their Christmas shopping.

The prediction from IMRG, the membership community for the e-retail industry, and eDigitalResearch is supported by information from internet giants Google and eBay, which are both experiencing significant increases in mobile traffic.

According to the search engine, 14% of Google queries now come from a mobile device, and eBay has upped worldwide mobile sales estimates up to nearly $5billion, from the $4billion initially expected, due to increased sales over the platform so far this year.

The evolution of mobile e-commerce has provided the opportunity for shoppers to research and compare products in-store and on the move - creating an army of “agile consumers”.

David J Smith, chief marketing and communications officer at IMRG, said: “The shopping behaviour displayed by the agile consumer reinforces the importance to retailers of offering a multi-channel solution.

“Consumers want choice and continually demonstrate their willingness to switch channels to suit their specific circumstances and secure the best deal for themselves.

“This could well be the year that mobile really has an impact on sales activity. Consumers are clearly not fazed by interacting with retailers through these devices and the important role they play is only going to increase.”

The news comes as we approach the “5-week shopping month” of December, when it seems that recession or not, Brits still intend to splash the cash. An estimated £7.75bn will be spent online this Christmas shopping period, and £1.64bn of that will be via mobile retail, more than any other country in Europe.

However, with 50% of mobile web surfers complaining about slow download times, sluggish mobile internet speeds may hamper the online sales stampede.

Miriam Lahage, vice president of global fashion at eBay, believes that the UK is lacking the “right infrastructure” to match e-retail demand from mobile devices.

Photo by istolethetv

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