Mobile Shopping Via Phone on Rise, but Tablet Transactions Slip, Says NPD

Mobile shopping activity gained 6 percentage points over the past two years, with 45 percent of smartphone users reporting they shop online via their device, NPD reported Monday, through Aug 31. The activity is being driven by smartphone owners ages 18-34, as shopping via tablet declined 3 percentage points over the past year, with just over a third of consumers saying they use a tablet for e-commerce, said NPD. Larger smartphone screen sizes are partly responsible for the increase in mobile commerce, along with market penetration: Some 100 million consumers shop online via smartphone, said analyst John Buffone. Online CE sales grew 13 percent in the 12 months ending August 2018 vs. the prior year, said NPD, with shoppers making nearly one additional tech purchase in the period. The U.S. online buying population making at least one CE purchase reached 45 percent, led by mobile phone accessories, portable audio and mobile power products, NPD said. “Consumers are leveraging their smartphones to purchase ‘grab and go’ items, as these purchases can be made conveniently, without investing the time to examine product reviews or visit multiple sites for price comparisons,” analyst Stephen Baker said. PCs remain the leading source for e-commerce: Sixty-five percent used a computer for some online shopping, down 2 percentage points from the year before.