Boxing Day 2011 has been named the UK’s biggest ever online shopping day; yet we all heard the reports of retailers flagging behind with lower than expected sales.
So what has caused this rapid increase in e-commerce? A new report has come out which suggests that online sales are massively driven by mobile.
In the study, RichRelevance, a provider of personalisation to online retailers, reports that mobile was a huge factor in the increase of online shopping in December, with more than a quarter of online shopping splurges done via mobiles, and 79 per cent of those were shopping using Apple iOS devices in December.
In its first UK Christmas Shopping Study, RichRelevance examined the shopping behaviour of 139 million consumers on many of the UK’s largest retail websites during December 2011.
The report was undertaken to provide retailers with new insight into how the boom of tablet devices and smartphones are impacting the way British consumers shop.
Key findings
Here are the main findings of the insightful study:
- More than one in four (27 per cent) of online shopping sprees in the UK occurred on a mobile device during the busy shopping season.
- From the beginning of December 2011, the mobile share of online shopping sales grew steadily, rising from 23 per cent at the beginning of the month to 31 per cent by December 31.
- However, shoppers purchasing from their mobile devices represented just over 8 per cent of total sales.
- On Christmas Day 43 per cent of all shoppers made purchases on a mobile device.
- On Boxing Day 40 per cent of all shoppers made purchases on a mobile device.
- Apple mobile devices account for the most online non-desktop sales.
- Just over 97 per cent of the sales originated from an iPad or an iOS-enabled device in December 2011.
- During December, the average order value on mobile devices was £111.86, compared with £102.20 on desktops.
“M-commerce is rapidly becoming a top priority for the retail industry as customers look to connect with retailers anytime, anywhere. This is evidenced by the fact that mobile devices accounted for more than a quarter of online shopping and nearly one in 10 pounds this Christmas,” says Darren Hitchcock, vice president, UK and European region, RichRelevance.
“We are working in depth with the majority of our customers in support of their mobile initiatives to ensure consumers have a consistent and personalised experience regardless of which channel they choose to shop.”
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start planning your mobile strategy for 2012!