Fashion and electronics are the two leading categories for mobile purchases, worth about a billion dollar each, according to eBay Australia’s second annual mobile shopping study.
Research by Nielsen and Stokes Mischewski confirmed approximately $1.1 billion is spent annually on fashion in Australia on mobile devices, while $1 billion is spent annually on electronics via mobile.
One in five (22 per cent) Australians are shopping on mobile devices this Christmas season, and for good reason. Among smartphone and tablet users, just under half (45 per cent) believe mobile shopping will give them an advantage over other shoppers this year with at least 62 percent of smartphone/tablet users having researched products online using their device.
The research also found large shifts in year-on-year trends, with a third of smartphone/tablet users using their device more than last year to research products.
Deborah Sharkey, eBay Australia vice president said the face of shopping is changing.
“Mobile empowers consumers with the ability to instantaneously research products, compare prices and purchase on the go. Mobile devices turn every waking moment into a potential shopping occasion,” she said.
“eBay invested heavily, ahead of the curve in mobile technologies. Products sold by our retail partners on eBay are now instantly accessible via eBay’s website and numerous mobile apps.
“eBay apps have been downloaded more than 100 million times globally. We expect more than $10 billion worth of goods to be bought on eBay mobile apps this year. Australia is one of the most sophisticated mobile shopping markets globally, with mobile contributing a significant share of overall sales.”
As to why consumers are shopping on mobile devices, 27 per cent of Australian Christmas shoppers say they enjoy being able to conveniently locate a local store with the lower price and a fifth of consumers (20 per cent) enjoying the ability to research price items on the spot.
However, the ‘home’ is still the most popular place to research (61 per cent) and purchase (40 per cent) though mobile, providing an interesting insight into the trend of multi-screen viewing – people see a product on TV and instantly research it on their mobile.
The research also uncovered that Baby Boomers are increasingly embracing the mobile revolution. However they still sit behind Gen Y (74 per cent) and Gen X (62 per cent) when it comes to researching products on their mobile.
For the first time the study was about to show the ‘regional hotspots’ around Australia where mobile transactions are most prominent. The east coast dominates, with Werribee the most prolific mobile shopping area in Victoria, Mackay the leader in Queensland and Liverpool in NSW.
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