The landscape of shopping is changing as smartphones grow

Interestingly, sales made via smartphones grew by 18.9% year-on-year in December 2017, whilst desktop orders fell from 47% to 45% and tablet sales decreased from 17% to 14% (in the same time period). Mobiles.co.uk’s own trends support these statistics, with sales made via smartphones increasing from 36% to 41% between 2016-2017. 

That doesn’t mean to say that desktops and tablets are not still a popular form of online shopping; with supporting data by YouGov showing that 23% of UK adults make a purchase online at least once a week. This explains why physical spend has decreased by 32% on items such as books, music, videos, and video games.

Google data shows that 76% of people who search on their smartphone for something nearby will then visit a related business within a day, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase. What’s more, smartphone users searching for products on their handset are twice as likely to be using mobile-optimised sites rather than shopping apps. 

Commenting on the findings, Andrew Cartledge, Mobile Expert at Mobiles.co.uk, said: “Smartphones have changed shopping habits, and we believe for the better. They allow consumers to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our own results showing that while orders on smartphones have increased, which is in-line with general trends of smartphone use. The way consumers use smartphones has influence across the research, consideration and order touch points of a consumer’s journey.”

Yoel Marson, CTO at Ve Global, a specialist in online consumer trends in the retail industry, added: “It’s no secret that smartphones have heralded a new era in the shopper/brand dynamic, opening up unprecedented levels of access and giving us the always-on customer.

“What’s more, our data shows that smartphones are no longer just the channel of choice for browsing in all major international markets, but buying too. This mobile-first mindset is here to stay and it’s retailers with multichannel mobile engagement strategies, to attract and convert customers that will come out on top.”