Internet shopping is now more popular in the UK than any other major country, and this is increasingly driven by use of mobile devices, says Ofcom. UK consumers have now broken the £1,000-a-year spend barrier on internet shopping – more than any other country in Ofcom's research.

In 2011, the per-head spending on e-commerce was £1,083 in the UK, up 14 per cent from £950 in 2010. Australia spends the second highest at £842, with Sweden third at £747. UK adults also like to shop on the move. Over a fifth (23.1 per cent) of UK smartphone users use their device to visit retail websites – the highest level out of the five largest European countries. Germany is second with 22.6 per cent.

Mark Haviland, MD of Rakuten LinkShare, comments: “The fact that Brits are spending more online compared to the rest of the globe shows our huge appetite for internet shopping and brands can clearly see the value of the online and mobile channels as a result. The huge amount of mobile web traffic reveals that consumers are taking advantage of their connected devices to browse and buy. While it is important to have a mobile strategy in place, marketers and brands should also remember that the mobile purchase journey does not exist in isolation. A consumer will often go on a non-liner journey while making a decision to buy, which could touch the online, in-store and mobile worlds multiple times. Brands must keep this purchase journey in mind and ensure the consumer receives a seamless shopping experience. Brands can work with a CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) network to ensure they encourage consumers to act by offering engaging and powerful content, both online and on mobile, encouraging them to take that final leap and buy, whichever channel they are on.”

Adam Stewart, marketing director, Rakuten’s Play.com, adds: “Interesting to read the report from Ofcom today stating that 16 per cent of all web traffic in the UK was from mobiles, tablets or other connected devices - more than any other European country.

"It’s certainly a trend that we’ve seen echoed on Rakuten’s Play.com, where we have seen nearly 120 per cent increase in traffic from mobile and tablet devices over the last 12 months. We also find that Mobile browsing surges on Monday morning from 7-8am and the pattern of browsing from bed or on the early morning commute is echoed throughout the week, with the highest levels of mobile browser activity occurring between 6–8am. Data also shows that shoppers are most likely to click through on deals via their mobile during this early morning timeframe.“

Dan Cohen, market unit leader for Tradedoubler, says: “The recent survey conducted by Ofcom has revealed that internet shopping is more popular in the UK than in any other major country. It comes of no surprise that mobile devices are helping to drive this trend as technology is transforming the way we search for and buy products. Apps and smartphones are leading the way, driving consumer behaviour that demands a constantly available, multi-touch, multi-channel response from retailers.

“Tradedoubler’s own recent research into consumer behaviour reflects a significant increase in purchase through mobile. The report, which is based on research among 2,000 smartphone users in Europe, shows that 38 per cent of people who research a product on their mobile phone will then go into a shop to buy it. 47 per cent go on to complete their purchase on a PC, 25 per cent on their mobile and 7 per cent on a tablet.

“We believe mobile commerce will only continue to grow in 2013. With the surge in smartphone and tablet ownership and the roll-out of 4G, speedier access to data and faster download speeds will enhance and encourage the mobile retail experience. The growing popularity of mobile price comparison sites, location-based voucher and discount codes will also contribute to this growth.”

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