UK ‘leading the way’ in mobile shopping

Written by Anthony Strzalek

30/01/2017

UK shoppers spent more via mobile over the festive period than their other European or US counterparts, according to new figures from Adobe.

The Adobe Digital Index revealed that Brits were the biggest mobile shoppers this Christmas, with £4.10 of every £10 spent online coming from a smartphone. The data also revealed that just under two-thirds (60 per cent) of online visits to UK retailers during the holiday season were made on a mobile device.

Over Christmas 2016, the UK’s mobile spending was substantially higher than the rest of the world’s: £3.10 in every £10, and 50 per cent of online visits to retailers came via a mobile in the US; the Nordics recorded £3 in £10 and a 49 per cent share of traffic; Germany saw mobile revenue drop to £2.70 and traffic to 44 per cent; and just £2.60 was spent in France, with mobile again accounting for 44 per cent of online visits.

The UK’s strong growth was partly driven by a surge in last minute Christmas shopping, with the amount spent on the last Monday before Christmas (19th December), increasing by half in 2016.

John Watton, EMEA marketing director at Adobe, said: “2016 saw an unprecedented surge in online holiday shopping, and mobile shopping in particular. Consumers’ desire to purchase items on mobile devices is clearly there.

“In an increasingly competitive retail market, it’s critical that retailers continue to personalise the shopping experience—across all devices and touchpoints—so that users are compelled to purchase more on their smartphones throughout the whole year.”