According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the number of online consumers is predicted to rise to 1.623 billion by 2018. This reflects an increase from 1.079 billion just two years ago. As we prepare to head into the festive period and the seasonal shopping begins, now is one of the most important times of year for retail commerce. One of the big questions revolves around how much mobile ecommerce will contribute to online sales this year.
It has been clear for quite some time that consumers have been using mobile devices to search for products and compare prices, but recent analysis shows that more users will be using their mobile devices to make purchases this year. In the past shoppers have been happy to wait until they had access to a computer or laptop to make an actual purchase, but as always, consumer habits have changed. With larger smartphone screens, sophisticated retail apps, mobile optimised websites and more efficient mobile checkout pages, buying goods on tablets and smartphones is simpler than ever.
Paypal recently carried out a global survey of online shopping trends which revealed 47% of those that have used their mobile device to shop preferred an app for the convenience and speed offered over a browser. The survey also discovered that 18 to 34 year olds make up 59% of mobile shoppers. With a younger demographic accounting for such a large portion of online retail activity, it has become even more important to have a well developed ecommerce app.
Successful retail means offering shoppers a stress free and seamless transaction. Whether shopping online or in reality, customers want to enjoy a fast and efficient shopping experience. 14.5% of the total forecasted retail sales in the UK are attributed to ecommerce and this is expected to rise to 19.3% by 2019. The figure doubles the expected increase in the United States and one major contributing factor is the click and collect revolution. You are much more likely to secure sales and encourage customers to return by enabling them to buy online and collect their goods in store. If you have a physical premises and do not offer click and collect, you could be missing out on numerous benefits.
Emarketer claims that retail commerce sales will exceed £60 billion by the end of the year due to a strengthened economy and growth in smartphone purchase. By offering your customers an efficient ecommerce app, you can be sure of keeping up with your competitors and increasing your demographic.