While 45 per cent of retailers said they made less than 5 per cent of online sales via their mobile apps last year, 26 per cent make anything between 6 and 100 per cent through shopping apps, and a worrying 29 per cent dont know how much they make.

According to the Research 2 Guidance Global mCommerce status check, 27 per cent  of companies expect to make more than 25 per cent of online revenue from mobile apps in the next five years. 15 per cent expect 50 per cent of eCommerce to come from apps.

Successful mobile apps, downloaded more than 2m times, view social network integration, seamless payment and product reviews as key functionality, the report said. But many apps achieve only a few thousands downloads. Virtual goods – including apps, music and films – are the most commonly bought products sold through mCommerce solutions.

The survey of more than 600 mCommerce companies found:

• 5 per cent make 6-10 per cent of their online revenues through their apps
• 3 per cent make 11-15
• 5 per cent make 25-50
• 8 per cent make 51-99
• 5 per cent make all their money through mCommerce