Mobile visits & desktop orders: what’s next
Mobile usage seems to be more related to pre-purchase browsing rather than to actual shopping. In the UK, mobile phones cornered online traffic to retail websites, accounting for over 70 percent of online visits. In turn, desktop traffic appeared slightly more lucrative, as it resulted in both higher conversion rates and average order values.UK users navigating apps or e-commerce sites were thus less eager to follow through with fulfilling potential purchases on mobile phones, with eight in ten shopping carts not resulting in a completed order. Since peaking in the last quarter of 2021, the average order value of mobile orders has also dropped considerably, from nearly 100 U.S. dollars then, to just over 86 U.S. dollars as of mid-2022. However, usage habits are still evolving very quickly. Recent survey data indicated that smartphones were the favored shopping device, preferred by nearly seven in ten British online shoppers.
Mobile commerce is here to stay
Mobile is a major e-commerce channel that doesn’t exclude, but rather integrates with different types of shopping experiences on other platforms. In 2022, ASDA Rewards — the money-saving rewards app of the popular chain retailer Asda — was the most downloaded Android app in the UK.While online shopping via mobile devices won’t stop anytime soon, smartphones also serve as the key connection with in-store purchases and payments. Many UK consumers enjoy the advantage of paying with their phones in restaurants, bars, and cafés. While proximity payments spare consumers the hassle of using cards (or cash), retailers’ apps do the same with vouchers and loyalty cards. Along with ASDA Rewards, which offers member cards to use while shopping, Tesco Clubcard was among the most downloaded mobile apps on iPhones in 2022.
