Retailers say mobile commerce is driving high street renaissance
HIGH street stores are seeing rising sales driven by mobile commerce, with £1 in every £10 spent coming via a mobile channel, according to research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) released today.
The report, conducted by the CEBR on behalf of software company Netsuite, said that mobile sales – including purchases made on smartphones and tablets, using mobile discount vouchers, or after products were researched on mobiles – are set to grow 23 per cent next year and already account for £45bn in sales. This amounts to just under 10 per cent of all high street revenue.
The report also said that one in five purchases come from mobiles among stores with smartphone apps or websites that are optimised for mobiles.
High street retailers – 200 of which were surveyed for the CEBR’s report – are optimistic about next year despite the difficult economic environment, with 87 per cent predicting a rise in sales next year and an average sales rise of 10 per cent expected.
“In the context of a difficult macroeconomic climate, retailers’ expectations seem very positive and may ultimately prove to be somewhat optimistic – but it’s clear that the importance of alternate revenue streams such as mobile commerce can be a crucial component for retail success moving forward,” the CEBR’s Colin Edwards said.