Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Mobile commerce worldwide - statistics & facts
In the digital age, shopping has undergone a radical metamorphosis. The widespread use of smartphones has made buying goods possible virtually anytime and anywhere. Convenience and accessibility are now fundamental aspects of this modern purchasing experience. With a simple tap on their screens, consumers can effortlessly explore products, compare prices, check reviews, and make purchases.
Estimates indicate that revenue from mobile commerce will reach approximately 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars in 2025, nearly doubling over the subsequent four years to encompass 63 percent of total retail e-commerce.
Mobile commerce has transcended the status of niche channel, almost making it equatable with overall e-commerce. Desktop devices are still losing market share annually, meaning that online retailers who adopt a mobile-first approach will be the most successful at providing the desired shopping experience to their customers.
From cart success to checkout dilemma
In recent years, mobile phones have emerged as the go-to choice for shopping online across the globe. While they excel in adding items to the cart, they still fall short in completing transactions, exhibiting lower conversion rates than other devices. Cart abandonment data suggests that more expensive and personal products tend to induce consumers to reconsider their purchase, regardless of the device used. Nonetheless, desktops consistently demonstrate the lowest cart abandonment rates across all product categories. Retailers looking to capitalize on sales via mobile devices face the challenge of optimizing their websites for this technology or developing applications that ensure a seamless shopping experience. Despite these efforts, many shoppers still prefer the larger screens and perceived security of desktops when paying for their items.Mobile shopping and apps go hand in hand
The penetration rate of mobile commerce in e-commerce globally is largely due to the success of online shopping applications. Mobile apps are used frequently by consumers, as evidenced by the total value of the global consumer spend on apps. This value amounted to over 35 billion U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024. Looking at pure e-commerce apps, the Chinese online marketplace Temu leads the global ranking in terms of downloads, followed by its competitor Shein. Temu has only been active since 2022, but has taken the app stores by storm ever since. Chinese players like Temu and Shein have pushed the Amazon app back to fourth place in the most recent global ranking.Mobile commerce has transcended the status of niche channel, almost making it equatable with overall e-commerce. Desktop devices are still losing market share annually, meaning that online retailers who adopt a mobile-first approach will be the most successful at providing the desired shopping experience to their customers.
