mCommerce will account for 18 per cent of the total amount spent online by UK shoppers this year, according to a study from RetailMeNot and the Centre for Retail Research.

The UK is the most mature mCommerce market in Europe, the study found, with 28 per cent of Brits having browsed retailers mobile sites in the previous three months, compared to an average of 20 per cent across the eight countries studied. Shoppers in France and Italy are the least likely to buy on their mobile, with that figure standing at just 12 per cent in each country.

The UK will also account for 40 per cent of all money spent on mCommerce sites in Europe, with a predicted spend of £7.9bn (up from £4.9bn in 2013), out of a total £19.8 billion across all eight markets (up from £10.7bn).

“The study shows that mobile is now the key driver behind the growth of e-commerce. While sales made on desktop or laptop computers are expected to grow by nine per cent in the UK in 2014, they are expected to increase by 62 per cent on mobile devices,” said Giulio Montemagno, SVP of international at RetailMeNot. “To take advantage of this shift, retailers must adapt by optimising their websites to mobile devices and ensuring payments are secure.”