Smartphone addiction driving January sales

UK consumers are more likely to shop on a mobile device

Source: Episerver

The UK is becoming a nation of smartphone shoppers, with more consumers from the UK opting to hit the January sales on mobile devices than those from other regions around the world.

That’s according to new research from ecommerce platform provider Episerver, which surveyed the mobile shopping habits of ten nations across the UK, US, Europe and APAC.

Out of the regions surveyed, UK consumers were the most likely to shop on a mobile, with 59% of respondents making a purchase via their device’s web browser in the last month. This figure drops to 50% in the US, 46% in Australia, and dips as low as 36% in some European nations (Belgium and the Netherlands).

While the UK leads the way when it come to shopping on a mobile browser, Americans are ultimately more likely to make purchases via a retailer’s mobile app, with 29% having made an in-app purchase over the last month (compared to 27% in the UK). UK consumers were generally less app-savvy, with 40% having never used a mobile application to make a purchase.

When compared to Episerver’s mobile commerce study from the previous year, smartphone shopping is on the rise, with UK consumers now 12% more likely to conduct their shopping on a mobile device. Episerver’s figures also suggest that the range of devices being used to make purchases has also increased, with 87% of respondents now using a tablet to shop online.

Commenting on the findings, David Bowen, Director, Product Management for Commerce at Episerver, said, “While this increase in mobile shopping could take its toll on traditional retail outlets, it’s not all bad news for UK high streets. According to ourreport, 50% of UK respondents place “on the high street” in their top three locations for using a mobile device. As such, it appears that many UK consumers are looking for a combined online and offline approach to shopping, with many using their mobiles to spot deals and opting for increasingly popular in-store “Click and Collect” services.”