E-commerce is Great but Consumers Want M-commerce

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September 10, 2009
By the ZippyCart Shopping Carts Content Team

M-commerce, better know as mobile commerce, is slowly gaining more popularity in the United States as smart phones like the iPhone or Blackberry become more affordable. For many young people a mobile phone is their only phone line, which makes it a perfect opportunity to market to them with an mobile commerce application (“app”). 2009 has been the first year that we have seen many retail brands launch their own mobile commerce programs so that they can be available to their customers on the go. However many major retailers are just now working on a mobile strategy or waiting until the time is right to invest in mobile commerce. Another issue in the US that has prevented us from progressing further on the mobile commerce front is the lack of standardization among smart phone browsers and operating systems. Places in Asia like South Korea and Japan have been at the forefront of mobile commerce for years with the US and Europe trailing behind.

Consumers in the US are becoming increasingly more comfortable making purchases on their mobile phone, but nowhere near the level that they do in most of Asia. A survey conducted by Harris Interactive earlier this year reported that from April-May 2009 the most popular online purchases were pizza and movie or event tickets. Larger ticket items are also gaining popularity with hotel rooms and travel tickets also ranking well on the survey. While it might be difficult to invest in mobile commerce for many retailers, it is a strategic investment in their future as they will attract early adopters and savvy shoppers who will be an amazing source of free word of mouth marketing.