Majority of UK consumers go online via mobile

Research published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that 96 percent of UK adults now go online via mobile devices and 76 percent shop online, meaning retailers without a comprehensive mobile commerce strategy risk extinction, an e-commerce veteran has warned.

Dan Wagner, Internet entrepreneur and founder of Powa Technologies, which created the PowaTag mobile commerce platform, said that despite the vast majority of people shopping online: “A surprising number of brands and retailers have still not adapted their strategies to match consumer demand.”

According to ONS’s Internet Access report, 96 percent of UK adults access the internet through a mobile phone, more than doubling from 24 percent in 2010, while 76 percent of all adults in the UK made a purchase online 2015, up from 53 percent five years ago, stressing that retailers need to up their mobile activity.

“The advent of the smartphone and access to reliable mobile internet has changed the landscape completely in the last five years. In today’s always-on, mobile-driven culture, it seems hard to believe that only 24 percent of people accessed the Internet via mobile in 2010,” said Wagner. “People have become accustomed to the ability to browse and buy on a whim, and time is running out quickly for those brands without a comprehensive mobile strategy.”

Wager added: “It is not enough to simply provide an online store – brands must seek out new ways to attract and engage their customers through mobile devices wherever they are, whether walking past a shop window, waiting for a bus or browsing online at home.

“Mobile engagement also holds the key to uniting online and physical sales, creating a single seamless experience to match consumer expectations.”