The number of customers buying items via mobile devices is predicted to increase by almost 50 percent over the next two years.
This year's number of mobile shoppers — approximately 393 million — will jump to 580 million by the end of 2014, according to a new report by Juniper Research. This growth reflects an increased confidence in payments via mobile devices and an importance of mobile as an eRetail channel.
Both the average size and scale of purchases will also continue to rise because of an increased volume of regular, higher-value transactions, the report found.
However, because the majority of retailer sites are still not optimized for mobile browsing, growth may be constrained.
“Consumers increasingly expect to be able to buy their products and services via their smartphones and tablets," report author Dr. Windsor Holden said. "Companies which do not offer this option face falling behind their competitors."
Another issue: Customers are still concerned about transaction security, which could also hinder mobile shopping's growth.
