Mobile shopping to be worth as much as the sales in 30,000 stores by 2019
A new study is predicting that by 2019, annual shopping via mobile will be worth as much as the amount spent in more than 30,000 UK shops.
According to research from e-commerce specialist Webloyalty, the m-commerce sector in the UK is currently worth £9.7 billion and is expected to grow to £53.6 billion by 2024. Spend on smartphones is forecast to rise by 243.5% in the next four years, with direct spend on both phones and tablets set to climb by over 230%.
The study found that one in three people shop via mobile in the office, with 2.8% even shopping during meetings at work. One in ten UK consumers will also use their phone or tablet multiple times during the day to browse, purchase or review items. In addition, some 14% of passengers also shop this way on their daily commute, and nearly one in ten of people even shop via their mobile devices in the bathroom.
The research shows that television has become a staple in triggering mobile sales for UK consumers. Some 59.6% of mobile shoppers admitted to spending while watching TV. It was also found to be the biggest motivator for encouraging a spontaneous mobile purchase, with TV adverts alone accounting for 16.7% of spontaneous spends.
Guy Chiswick, managing director of Webloyalty Northern Europe, explained: “The influential spend as a result of customers browsing on mobile is staggering. Our research found that 41.3% of consumers will buy a product on another device after viewing it on mobile, and a further 11% of shoppers will purchase an item in-store, resulting in £18 million in additional sales for UK retailers. The key message here is for retailers to make the most of mobile – a strong social media presence, targeted personalised emails and the offer of digital wallet payments will aid in the pursuit of mobile sales conversions.”
Sectors such as homewares are set to benefit the most from the mobile spending boom, with a predicted sales increase of 300% over the next four years. The clothing and electronics sectors are also set to profit from increased mobile sales.
Chiswick added: “Consumers are building trust in mobile and technology is making it easier for them to buy, and this is set to continue. Retailers in all sectors need to be conscious that more and more consumers will be shopping via a mobile route, whether that’s via an app or the website itself. Ensuring that these channels are optimised is essential for success in the coming years.”
