the US retail commerce market mobile phone payments appear set to
become an increasingly significant feature, Nic Covey, director of
insights at Nielsen Mobile, told delegates to the Internet Retailer
Conference and Exhibition held in Chicago in June. His optimism was
based on an extensive survey conducted by Nielsen Mobile, a unit of
media analysis specialist The Nielsen Company.
Among key data presented by Covey was that 9.2 million Americans
(3.6 percent of all US mobile subscribers) already use their mobile
phone while a notable 49 percent of all mobile data users say they
expect to participate in mobile commerce in the future. Mobile data
includes mobile internet and text messaging services. Indicative of
the potential size of mobile commerce there were 40 million active
US users of mobile internet services in April 2008, according to
Nielsen.
Go deeper with GlobalData
“For many of the millions of consumers who are already shopping
online or over landline phones, mobile commerce is an obvious and
useful extension of that opportunity,” said Covey.
“As more mobile commerce services become available and consumers
develop a greater trust for phone-based transactions, we expect
commerce to be an increasingly important part of the mobile
experience next year and beyond,” he added.
Security concerns, however, remain an obstacle with 41 percent of
data users citing this as their main reason for not participating
in mobile commerce. “As with other forms of electronic commerce, US
consumers need proof that mobile transactions will be a safe,
affordable and efficient complement to other modes of shopping,”
said Covey.
Nielsen’s optimistic expectations for mobile commerce are shared by
US networking technology developer Cisco Systems which proclaims in
a new study: “Mobile devices represent a major growth opportunity
for the retail industry by providing a new purchasing channel for
consumers.”
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIn an assessment of 35 retailers in North America and Europe Cisco
found that 42 percent provide the ability to view product
information on a mobile device through reformatted web pages or
specific mobile pages. However, only 15 percent currently offer the
ability to conduct transactions.
