HAMPSHIRE, UK – Just over 2 billion mobile phone or tablet users will make some form of mobile commerce transaction by the end of 2017, up from 1.6 billion this year, according to a new report from Juniper Research.
Mobile Commerce Markets: Key Sector Strategies, Opportunities & Forecasts 2014-2019 found that mobile consumption of services such as banking, money transfer and purchases of goods and services was surging as consumers were either migrating from desktop usage or becoming first-time eCommerce users through their smartphones or tablets. It also predicted that in a number of developed markets, mobile devices would account for over half of online transactions within five years.
Noting that contactless payments had yet to gain traction outside of Japan and South Korea, the report says that Apple Pay is expected to provide NFC with real momentum. It also stressed the opportunity for mobile to offer consumers in emerging markets first-time financial inclusivity through the provision of mobile wallets, enabling services beyond payments such as savings and micro-insurance.
The report also highlighted the potential of social networks in accelerating mobile commerce adoption, and recommended the integration of operator billing capabilities with websites to monetise digital content amongst a wider user base.
“Brands and retailers should certainly seek to integrate their offerings with players such as Facebook and FourSquare”, said the report’s author Dr. Windsor Holden, in the news release. “Integration offers reach, allied to the potential to target specific user demographics.”
www.juniperresearch.com
