Younger mothers embrace m-commerce

Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 11:10 by Sarah Collinson

A new study has found that 50 per cent of mothers aged between 18 and 34 are using m-commerce services to shop online at least once a week, according to The Drum.

Two thousand British mums who fall into the millennials category were questioned in the survey and a third of respondents also said that m-commerce transactions were a more convenient way for them to pay for goods and services, as opposed to traditional alternatives, like credit cards or hard cash.

Meanwhile amongst older mothers aged between 35 and 44, the m-commerce usage drops by 39 per cent compared with their younger counterparts, revealing a generational divide in habits.

Report spokesperson, Mike Fogarty, said that mothers were choosing smartphones as their go-do device to handle many different responsibilities throughout the day. Shopping online is one of the most important things to take charge of when managing a family household, so being able to access m-commerce services while also taking care of the kids is a boon.

Respondents to the study were asked to list the kinds of apps that they use most regularly, with Amazon and eBay noted as being two of the most popular, along with social networking services, like Facebook and Instagram.

Millennial mums spend an average of 8.1 hours each day indulging in a spot of digital media consumption, which can include video streaming and web browsing from a smartphone. So as the new generation emerges, it is apparent that online shopping will continue to play a major role, albeit with the focus on mobile platforms.

These young mothers are also more engaged with brands online, making them likely to purchase products from particular retailers and ranges based on the interactions that they or their friends have had through social platforms.