Smartphones are leading to race to be the online shopping platform of choice, as consumers turn to their handheld devices for 55 per cent of digital purchases.

A new report by Criteo, an online advertising platform, based on data from more than 5,000 retailers in 80 countries, found that more than half of online sales in the EMEA region now take place on smartphones and tablets, with sales on mobile channels up by 24 per cent on last year.

However, whilst the total number of online sales is up, purchases made on tablet devices have fallen by 32 per cent in the last 12 months, reflecting trends in improved smartphone capabilities and consumer usage.

Mobile purchases now account for 59 per cent of all online transactions made in the EMEA region, the study showed, overtaking desktop, which was used for 41 per cent of purchases, down four per cent in the second quarter on the first three months of 2018.

Shopping apps are also paying dividends, accounting for more than a quarter of online transactions (26 per cent). In European countries, conversion rates from an app are now at 17 per cent – outperforming mobile web conversions which languish behind on five per cent, and desktop conversions on 12 per cent.

The study showed that the UK is in the top five countries for uptake of mobile shopping. Northern European countries are leading the field in mobile e-commerce, with mobile transactions accounting for 60 per cent of online sales in Sweden, 57 per cent in Norway, ahead of 55 per cent in Japan and the UK respectively.

Advertising of mobile shopping apps are also key to their success, the survey found, with e-commerce pureplayers promoting their platform seeing the highest share of conversions (31 per cent), compared to retailers with physical stores, which saw 21 per cent of transactions via app.

Jaysen Gillespie, head of analytics and data science at Criteo, said: “Retailers need to understand the nuanced browsing and purchasing patterns of their primary customers on mobile in order to market mobile web and in-app experiences that will truly move the needle later this year.”

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