UK shoppers are growing increasingly comfortable with making purchases via smartphone and tablet, according to the latest figures from IMRG.
Overall online sales increased by 13% in March, despite Easter falling later (in April) this year. The rise in online sales was driven largely by higher average basket values through mobile devices, with spending up 18% compared with March 2016. This is the seventh month in a row in which the average basket value has gone up year-on-year.
IMRG managing director Justin Opie commented: “Over the past few years we have recorded very strong online retail sales growth through smartphone devices and it seems shoppers are getting more confident about checking out with higher baskets through these devices. The reasons for this are most likely related to better-performing mobile sites, with many retailers focusing on making the experience as convenient and straightforward as possible on these devices, but it will also no doubt be being influenced by next-day delivery — it has become fairly common for online retailers to offer next-day for free if the total spend is above a set threshold.”
Figures from PCA Predict reported by Internet Retailing confirm that consumers continued shopping on their mobiles over the Easter holiday, with up to 20,000 consumers per hour shopping via smartphone.
“While computers remain the dominant tool for online shopping, we will continue to see upticks in mobile ecommerce and a decline in traditional e-shopping trends as mobile becomes increasingly accessible to consumers throughout the UK,” said Chris Harle, chief operating officer of PCA Predict. “Right now, most people shopping online are from London or the Northwest. Tapping into potential consumer bases in Northern Ireland and Wales could cause another serious upswing in purchases.”
