What are the latest trends driving mobile commerce ?

Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, has been steadily increasing in recent years in the UK. According to some research from PwC, more than 50% of UK consumers say they have used a mobile payment app / mobile wallet at least once.

Another trend has been the rise of Augmented Reality: (AR) technology is being used by retailers to offer customers an immersive shopping experience.

By using their phones to view products, shoppers can see them in 3D, try them on virtually, and even see how they would look in their home or office. 46% of UK shoppers say they would be more likely to purchase from a retailer that offers AR experiences, according to a survey by Retail Perceptions. In 2021, 32% of UK retailers are using AR or virtual reality (VR) in some capacity, up from 25% in 2020, according to a survey by Barclays.

With more than 14.8 million active users of voice assistants in the UK, according to eMarketer, voice commerce is also a technology retailers shouldn’t overlook.

The rapid growth of AI has fueled the development of AI-powered Chatbots that act like virtual assistants that can help customers with everything from product recommendations to order tracking at anytime and anywhere. AI-powered Chatbots are here to stay and customers are more and more expecting them to be part of a standard customer experience

Brands are using social media to showcase their products, and consumers can buy them directly from the platform, without ever leaving the app. As a result, social commerce is an increasingly important channel for retailers. 33% of UK consumers have declared to have made a purchase directly through a social media platform, according to a survey by GlobalWebIndex. Facebook and Instagram are the most popular platforms for social commerce in the UK, with 48% of social media users having made a purchase through Facebook and 43% having made a purchase through Instagram, according to a survey by Hootsuite.

With the majority of internet usage now happening on mobile devices, it’s crucial for retailers to have a mobile-first design strategy. This means creating websites and apps that are optimized for mobile devices, with streamlined navigation, quick load times, and easy checkout processes.

Mobile commerce being more convenient, personalised, and engaging for consumers, it will provide businesses with new opportunities to drive sales and improve customer satisfaction.