The influence of mobile devices on eCommerce is growing by the year, with a record £25 billion expected to be spent by British smartphone users in 2019 - £10 billion more than in 2018.
uSwitch says 30 million Brits will use their phone to make purchases this year, a 66 per cent rise year-on-year, with more people using a smart device to make purchases than in shopping centres or on a laptop or desktop computer.
Two thirds of mobile shoppers do so for the convenience of being able to shop at any time in any location, while a third believe it saves them money as they can save money by comparing prices from different retailers.
Mobile eCommerce
But despite the ability to shop wherever they want, the majority of mobile shopping takes place in the living room with 78 per cent of purchases taking place from the comfort of the couch. Fourteen per cent shop at work and younger people are more likely to shop from the bathroom than the kitchen.
Unsurprisingly, online retail behemoth Amazon is the most popular service with 89 per cent using it in the past year. eBay is second with 63 per cent and Argos third with 41 per cent. In terms of mobile and electronics retailers, Currys PC World is ninth with 17 per cent.
Analysts say the research shows the importance of retailers ensuring their platform is adapted for mobile.
“With smartphone and tablet shopping now a £25 billion industry, it’s hardly surprising that major retailers have long adopted a mobile-first approach to their websites and have even introduced their own apps to make the user experience as easy as possible,” said Ru Bhikha, mobiles expert at uSwitch. “Cleaner user journeys and the ease of one-click purchasing will only add to the number of people shopping on their phones and tablets.
“Providing your phone has a decent connection to either a good broadband supply or 3G or 4G, you can shop any time and any place – and this year more Brits than ever look set to take advantage of that.”
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