As the holiday season approaches, a new Adobe Analytics report predicts that 53% of online sales will be made through mobile devices. This trend is expected to continue growing, with mobile shopping set to surpass desktop by 2025. Between January and July this year, consumer spending on mobile devices increased by 10.2% compared to the previous year, reaching $280.4 billion. Mobile sales accounted for nearly half (47.7%) of all online transactions during this period, up from 46.6% last year.
Mobile purchases are becoming particularly prominent in specific retail categories. For instance, 77% of personal care products bought online were purchased through mobile devices. Similarly, mobile sales made up 68.2% of grocery and 60.8% of apparel online sales.
This growth in mobile shopping marks a significant shift in consumer behaviour. With consistent double-digit increases in mobile spending during the first half of 2024, it is likely that mobile shopping will dominate not only this holiday season but also future retail trends. Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, highlighted that while consumers currently use mobile devices for smaller, more frequent purchases, larger transactions may also move towards mobile in the near future. Although mobile basket sizes are currently 32% smaller than those on desktops, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity for brands to improve the mobile shopping experience and increase revenue.
The holiday season has shown a clear trend towards mobile shopping. In 2021, 43% of online sales were made on mobile devices, and last year, mobile overtook desktop for the first time, accounting for 51% of sales. Christmas Day 2022 saw the highest mobile shopping activity, with 63% of online sales occurring on mobile devices.
Adobe’s report aligns with other research indicating that online retail sales continue to grow. An FTI Consulting report forecasts that online U.S. retail sales will increase by 9.8%, reaching $1.2 trillion in 2024. Additionally, Adobe noted that consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to shop during major sales events, such as Prime Day, Fourth of July, and Memorial Day, with mobile sales making up 51% of average online retail sales during these events.
Mobile shopping is rapidly becoming the preferred method for online purchases, particularly during the holiday season, and this trend is expected to continue and strengthen in the coming years.
itim Group plc (LON:ITIM) is a SaaS-based technology company that enables store-based retailers to optimise their businesses to improve financial performance and effectively compete with online competitors. Itim adds retail value by helping multi-channel retailers optimise their business and their stores to improve financial performance and compete more effectively with the “Amazons”.
