The percentage of online sales via mobile devices could reach 20 per cent by this Christmas, figures released today revealed.
Site visits via mobile are set to reach 30 per cent, according to the latest results from the IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking Index, which found that the percentage of m-commerce sales rose to 11.6 per cent in Q2 of 2012, a 3.4 per cent lift on Q1.
Mobile is an increasingly popular choice for consumers and since the beginning of 2010, UK e-tail sales have rocketed 2,900 per cent, from 0.4 per cent of e-tail sales in Q1 2010 to its current 11.6 per cent.
Site visits via mobiles also jumped over the second quarter, from 16.4 per cent to 21.1 per cent, though researchers warned that bounce rates were on the rise.
Over the course of Q2, visitor bounce rates rose to 29 per cent, the highest level yet recorded since the index began two and a half years ago, highlighting the high expectations of increasingly demanding consumers.
In 2010, the average bounce rate was 22 per cent, rising to 24 per cent in 2011 while the year-to-date in 2012 reveals an average bounce rate of 28 per cent.
Tina Spooner, Chief Information Officer at IMRG, explained:“While the share of online sales going through mobile devices continues to grow impressively, the actual final conversion side of it is only part of the story.
“Mobile has placed retailers, symbolically perhaps, in the palms of consumers‘ hands, removing many former borders and expanding the contexts and times that engagement can happen.
“With the phenomenal growth seen in m-retail sales and visits, inevitably this also impacts the website visitor bounce rates, with fickle consumers easily able to compare and browse across multiple websites before completing a purchase.”
In good news for omnichannel retailers, basket abandonment rates have fallen over the period, down five per cent to 55 per cent, though the index warned that the drop is only marginal and that the overall level remains high.
Chris Webster, VP of Consumer Products and Retail at Capgemini, said that while these figures reveal room for improvement, mobile shopping is nevertheless a key part of the future of retail.
“The second decade of this century will be viewed in history as the decade when the mobile device became the point of access to digital services.
“This has happened very quickly for commerce services and by the end of this year, 20 per cent of all digital commerce transactions will be completed on mobile devices.
“Compound this with the ability to identify ourselves (iris or fingerprint recognition etc), hold information on ourselves (eg. Apple passbook launched this autumn on iOS6) and access such services while on the move (location based services) making these services personal and location based.
“The mobile device will be the must have item when you leave the house; just imagine when your passport and driving licence can also be held (or accessed) through the device. One final hurdle to clear: what happens when the battery goes flat?”
