Milestone as smartphones rise to top of online pile
For the first time, UK shoppers have spent more money through their smartphones when accessing UK retail sites than either desktop or tablet, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.
In Q4 2018/19, the share of sales revenue spent through smartphone devices was 40.4%, with desktop securing 39.7% and tablet 19.9%. A further milestone was reached in December, where smartphones accounted for over 70% of mobile device sales for the first time (the other 30% was spent through tablets).
Also during this period, 74.3% of site visits were made through mobile devices, compared with 25.7% via desktops. To give this some perspective: back in 2015, the percentage of visits coming through smartphones and tablets versus desktops was even.
”The iPhone was first released in 2007, and for a long time people were visiting product pages through smartphones in large numbers but then completing purchases elsewhere. It wasn’t until late-2015 when it started to really gain traction as a fully transactional device for online shopping,” comments Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRG.
“This does not spell the end of other devices being used for online retail purchases, however – people tend to use multiple devices depending on which is most convenient. So, for example, during standard working hours a higher proportion of sales come through desktop as people are sat in front of their computers at work.”
