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March 24, 2016

UK consumers lead the way on mobile shopping

UK consumers lead the way on mobile shoppingOnline retail spending is set to exceed £60bn in the UK this year and mobile devices will be responsible for 36% of all UK retail sales according to new data.

The UK is leading the way in online sales according to research conducted by the Centre for Retail Research for RetailMeNot. The research focused on ecommerce and mobile commerce trends across eight key European markets (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, UK and Sweden), as well as the US and Canada.

It found that the average British online shopper will spend £1,311 this year, with an average transaction value surpassing £60 for the first time - the highest amount in Europe.

UK shoppers are also much more likely to use mobile devices to shop than their European counterparts.

In Europe, mobile devices will be responsible for 25% of retail sales this year up from 20% in 2015, says RetailMe Not. But it predicts that British consumers will spend over £20bn on mobile devices this year, with mobile commerce in the UK accounting for 36% online spending.

The research also reveals that British mobile shoppers have the highest annual spend of all researched markets: £908 per customer on average compared to £781 in the United States and £554 in Europe.

The study also shows that consumers increasingly blur the lines between online and offline shopping - often using mobiles to find deals when they are in-store (known as "showrooming") and also researching online before visiting a bricks and mortar shop.

Giulio Montemagno, senior vice president international at RetailMeNot, said: "What this research shows us is that consumers want the most convenient shopping experience possible. For retailers to capitalise on this, it is important for them to continue making the shopper experience as trustworthy and as seamless as possible. This reinstates the need to prioritise the idea of the omnichannel experience - making it as simple as possible for consumers to access the same deals and experience both on and offline."

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