The impact of eCommerce is already evident, but mCommerce (mobile commerce) is a category that’s set to see its own level of growth over the year, according to eMarketer.
Up to 95.1 million Americans, aged 14 and up, will make some form of purchase via a smartphone, which is just over 51 percent of digital buyers.
“Most shoppers regularly browse and research on their smartphones, but they’re now also making purchases with them,” said Yory Wurmser, retail analyst for eMarketer. “As mobile sites become better optimized and screen sizes grow, it’s becoming easier for shoppers to complete the purchase on the smartphone, which will drive mCommerce numbers up for the next several years.”
That number will continue to rise over the next few years, and is expected to grow up to 55.1 percent of all digital buyers and reaching nearly 110 million Americans by 2020.
Sales will reach a peak next year, getting to $75.51 billion in mCommerce sales via smartphone, which comes out to about half of all mCommerce sales,. That’s a 48 percent increase from what’s estimated for this year, and is expected to rise up to $129.44 billion by 2020.
That’s not to say it’ll be easygoing. Most consumers start shopping sessions on smartphones without finishing them. 165.8 million Americans 14 and up (78.5 percent of all digital shoppers in the US) will look around for bargains on their devices, but won’t complete the sale using the device.
“In order to get people to make purchases on their phones, retailers need to make it as easy as possible for consumers,” noted Wurmser. “That means fully optimized mobile websites, a checkout process with few steps, and fully personalized merchandising.”
