The latest research results from eDigitalResearch and Portaltech Reply shows that 64% of smartphone owners are now using their mobile devices to shop online, a number that has quadrupled since June 2010.
The study also found that an impressive 84% of smartphone owners have used their devices to browse websites, with one third (33%) doing so on a daily basis, whilst three quarters (77%) are using their smartphones to research products.
Derek Eccleston, Head of Research at eDigitalResearch, comments. “These results confirm that mCommerce has fundamentally revolutionised the way in which we shop and browse. The growth of mobile is completely unprecedented and the rate of change that we’ve tracked over the past two years is alarming. Back in June 2010, we predicted that smartphones were likely to play an increasingly significant part in consumer’s busy lifestyles, and whilst in 2011 we found that great strides had been made towards this, these latest set of results demonstrate that this trend is now irreversible. It is therefore essential that all retailers and brands make their mobile channels as accessible as possible to maximise the potential that mCommerce has to offer”.
The results also show that growth of mobile shopping shows no signs of slowing down. Almost half (44%) of the smartphone owners surveyed said that they would use their devices to browse more in the coming months, with one third (31%) claiming that they would then go on to make a purchase.
Shopping through an online mobile site has remained more popular than shopping on a mobile app, although it has to be taken into consideration that transactional retail apps are still a key future development for some retailers. The results also seem to suggest that there appears to be preference between shopping online and via an app for some users.
Mark Adams, Partner at Portaltech Reply comments said: “Three years ago we were just at the outset of the mobile revolution and this latest research proves conclusively that the excitement and expectation around how mobile would change eCommerce was not exaggerated. Smartphone use as a shopping tool has become mainstream and the arrival of 4g and better connected retail outlets will further drive smartphone engagement in the multi-channel shopping experience. I believe we will see a greater use of mobile and tablet applications to support the in-store browsing, sharing and purchasing demands of the mobile 2.0 consumer”.
Results also found that security, clear navigational links and quick browsing remain key features for mobile shoppers, who once again, rated functionality and usability higher than branding and design.
eDigitalResearch and Portaltech Reply have been tracking the growth of mobile commerce with consumers since June 2010. The original results found that, whilst mCommerce was still in its infancy, mobile shopping was likely to play an increasingly important role in multichannel purchasing.
