IMRG and Capgemini have identified a ‘tipping point’ in eCommerce as mobile contributed the only growth seen in online sales during retails Q2 while desktop shopping flat-lined.

Growth in sales made on smartphones and tablets has been revised upwards for the year, from 12 to 15 per cent, with 23 per cent of all sales already coming from this channel from May to July.

Although tablets have accounted for 85 per cent of sales on mobile to date this year, purchases made on smartphones are growing more quickly – 210 per cent compared to 130 per cent year-on-year. This growth is doubt due to improved mCommerce opportunities being provided by brands, as well as more 4G customers and better free wi-fi access, along with ever-greater smartphone penetration.

Kate Smyth, director of eCommerce at Dune shoe shop, said the findings match her brands experience. “Mobile has been our priority for a while and the possibilities are really exciting. We have a mobile version of the site, developed content designed for touch and we use mobile technology in store to help locate stock and reduce queues – but the roadmap for mobile and tablets is key as the devices become part of every household.”

The stats were worked out using KPIs from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index and the IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking Index. The research only counts completed transactions on each platform.