Mobile commerce becoming more accepted

New research has highlighted a marked rise in the acceptance

of mobile commerce amongst shoppers.

The 2013 Consumer Retail Survey by information management company Stibo Systems found that the number of consumers who said that they had purchased a product online via a mobile device rose by 19 percent in the last year to reach 59 percent. Three quarters of respondents agreed it was "very important" to be able to access product information online. This was up 8 points from 67 percent in 2012, suggesting that consumers are becoming more sophisticated and selective in their online shopping habits.

Mark Thorpe, UK managing director at Stibo Systems, said: "Although every year is hailed as the ‘year of the mobile’, there is sufficient evidence in these results to demonstrate that mobile is now a legitimate channel for retailers, particularly with the recent rapid adoption of tablet devices.

"In order to maximise its benefits, retailers should now pay full attention to mobile commerce, not only to ensure a satisfactory customer experience, but also to meet expectations and avoid disappointment, and the resulting lost sales that this may lead to."