Mar/Apr Issue
Survey suggests 1 in 3 have tried mobile commerce
October 5, 2009
A consumer study of mobile commerce (m-commerce) habits has found 38% of UK
consumers have tried to shop online from their mobiles, but 28% of those who
have tried it find it difficult.
The results from the survey of over 2,000 UK, French and Dutch consumers by
e-commerce systems provider, Art Technology Group (ATG) revealed that, while
consumer interest is rising, mobile operators and handset operators need to work
together to address concerns for m-commerce adoption to rise.
One in three UK respondents (39%) said they would be more likely to shop
using their mobiles if retailers provided secure and easy payment services.
Another 24% thought offering mobile-only offers and incentives would encourage
adoption. And 22% believed retailers should design websites optimised for
smaller screens to encourage use.
Yet, despite the growing popularity of mobile applications, just 15% of UK
consumers felt developing specific commerce-related applications would entice
them to shop using their mobile. But the survey did find that use of m-commerce
would increase if retailers offered customers more personal optimised
experiences to suit changing lifestyles and tastes.
Respondents also said unclear pricing (34%) and slow network speeds (27%)
were the biggest barriers to mobile commerce adoption. Consumers wanted handset
manufacturers to offer phones with bigger screens (29%), more affordable
smartphones (29%) and Wi-Fi enabled phones so they can connect to their home
internet connection for no additional cost (24%). If concerns were addressed,
respondents would buy cinema and theatre tickets (31.1%), music and DVDs (30.7%)
and takeaways (25%) from their mobile.
Frank Lord, ATG managing director in Europe, Middle East and Africa said:
"There's no doubt purchasing patterns are changing and mobile commerce will be
more common in the future. But there is a still a lot of work to be done by
operators, handset manufacturers and retailers alike to make mobile shopping a
reality. Offering more affordable smartphones, faster networks and clearer
pricing will help telcos and handset manufacturers tap into this emerging
industry.
"While retailers need to address security and payment services to ensure
mobile commerce is incorporated into overall commerce strategies, what's most
important is customers receive a seamless commerce experience from anywhere
whether it's in-store, online, by phone or via the mobile internet.
Personalising services and channels for customers will ultimately deliver the
type of shopping experience they want."
