Smartphone spending rises as m-commerce market matures

Monday, February 6, 2017 - 13:54 by Paul Tissington

Forty per cent of the cash that British consumers splashed out online in the final two months of 2016 was channelled through mobile devices, according to the latest figures from Adobe.

In the firm’s Digital Index, it is revealed that mobile spending saw an 11 per cent year on year increase during the run-up to Christmas. This shows just how influential portable devices have become in the online marketplace.

The trend for m-commerce also helped to drive last minute sales in the days before December 25th, with analysts recording a 50 per cent increase in these panic buys as consumers fought to secure gifts for the big day.

Report spokesperson, John Watton, said that the rise in mobile spending in the final months of 2016 was stronger than expected, while the market itself was becoming more competitive as people flocked to access sites offering safe shopping online from their smartphones.

He also said that retailers were under more pressure than ever to ensure that the m-commerce experiences they offer are comparable to the features available on their desktop sites.

Because people are browsing the web from mobiles more regularly than from traditional laptops and PCs, it makes sense for retailers to adapt their offerings so that those looking to make purchases while on the move are not hindered. But there are still instances in which a mobile site is inferior in terms of its capabilities, or suffers from performance issues due to poor optimisation.

If the growth in spending seen in 2016 is a reflection of ongoing trends, then 2017 could see even greater changes being brought about by this trend. And retailers will need to ensure that they can deliver convenient, secure shopping across all platforms which they occupy.