Mobile becomes the leader in online shopping by overtaking desktop

New data from payments platform Adyen reveals 52% of global ecommerce now takes place on mobile devices

We’ve all been hearing that mobile will reach a ‘tipping point’ for a long time. Data from global payments company Adyen shows that it has been growing steadily for years, climbing from 34% in January 2016, to 43% in January 2017. But now for the first time, mobile has reached 52%, surpassing desktop as the technology of choice for ecommerce purchases.

The iPhone is quickly becoming the most popular device, followed closely by Android as the leading mobile devices for online purchases. Adyen’s research also found that when it comes to more expensive purchases, tablets outperform smartphones as the go to device, most likely due to their larger size enabling closer scrutiny of a high-value item. The average purchase price on an iPad is 69% higher than items purchased on the iPhone.

Roelant Prins, Chief Commercial Officer at Adyen said: “As consumers shift to mobile, online retailers must refine their checkout experience. On average, we see that during the checkout phase, the customer drop-off rate is 9% higher than on desktop. So there is a huge opportunity for retailers to optimize their checkouts by supporting one-click payments, stored cards, user profiles and much more. If they don’t act, they risk losing out to competitors.

Ultimately, shopping is all about experiences. Retailers need to understand how their customers prefer to shop and provide an experience to match. Mobile is only going to become more important as consumers become increasingly comfortable using new mobile payment methods such as Facebook or WeChat messaging apps, Apple Pay or Pay with Google. Those who provide a seamless experience across mobile web or in app, are giving themselves the best chance for success.”