Mobile Shopping Transactions Double In A Year

The number of transactions completed on mobile devices has doubled in a year according to the latest figures from the online retail industry body, the IMRG.

In the second quarter of this year the number of online transactions completed on gadgets such as smartphones and tablets has grown to 23.2 per cent, from 11.6 per cent in the same period a year before.

According to the survey, done in partnership with management consultancy Capgemini, the number of page visits from mobiles in the period was even higher at 34 per cent, from 21.1 per cent a year earlier.

The survey has been undertaken for three years now during which time the number of transactions has grown by more than 2,000 per cent and the number of visits by 1,100 per cent. At the beginning of 2010 over 97 per cent of retail site access was through a desktop.

But the downside is that bounce rates from sites - customers quickly abandoning their shopping trips - have increased as shoppers get more demanding. From 21.7 per cent in 2010, 23.7 per cent in 2011, to a high of 27 per cent in 2012. The rate so far this in 2013 is slightly lower at 26 per cent.

'There appears to be a correlation between the surge in mobile commerce over the past 3 years and the rise in visitor bounce rates on e-retail websites. While consumers have generally become more confident in using their mobile devices as a shopping tool, the latest data suggests they have also become more demanding,' said Tina Spooner, chief information officer at the IMRG. 

'Higher search volumes will inevitably result in an increase in bounce rates as shoppers will often compare products and pricing across several brands. However, by offering an engaging and relevant experience for customers across all channels retailers will ultimately achieve the end goal of higher conversion rates and an increase in customer loyalty,' she said.


There was also a significant rise in click and collect sales in the second quarter - which for the purposes of the survey runs from May to July. Click and collect rates increased by 33 per cent to 16 per cent of all online sales, from 12 per cent in the period last year.


'The record high levels of online sales via mobile devices corresponds with record high rates for click and collect, which now stands at 16% of all eCommerce orders. This correlation of mobile ordering and location flexible collection is at the heart of the mobile internet and the impact it will have on consumer behaviour. Maybe we are truly entering the Martini age - anytime, anyplace, anywhere,' said Chris Webster, vice president of consumer products and retail at Capgemini.