mCommerce Rising Faster in the East, says Rakuten

Shoppers in the East is ahead of their Western counterparts in terms of mCommerce adoption, according to a study from Rakuten

According to a survey of 12,000 people across the globe, consumers in the Far East are nearly twice as likely as their western counterparts to shop on mobile devices. 15 per cent of Indonesians and 13 per cent of Thais partake in mobile shopping, compared to 8 per cent in the US and UK.

That numbers a little healthier on tablets – with 14 per cent of Brits using their device for shopping – but its still way behind Thailand, with an adoption rate of 35 per cent.

What could be holding back adoption in the UK? The answer, as often seems to be case, is security – its the biggest concern about mobile shopping for 27 per cent in the UK.

“At Rakuten’s Play.com we have seen a nearly 120 per cent increase in traffic from mobile and tablet devices over the last 12 months,” said Play.com marketing director Adam Stewart. “However, there is still a gap between browsing and buying that we need to bridge. As an industry we need to build consumer confidence in mobile shopping platforms, by refining the shopping experience online, offering more mobile tailored offers to incentivise purchase and ensure mobile payments are secure, smooth and hassle-free.”