Dive Brief:
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For the first time, more than a quarter (25.8%) of e-commerce transactions worldwide happened on mobile, according to mobile payments company Adyen’s quarterly Mobile Payments Index Q4 report.
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That number marks an 11% increase from the previous quarter (23.3%) and a 37% increase from Q4 last year (18.8%).
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Adyen also found a continuing trend of smartphones overtaking tablets in mobile transactions, with phones accounting for 58% and tablets 42%. Retail phone transactions, (including apparel, furniture, appliances, and groceries), were less than 10% of purchases and tablet transactions were 19%.
Dive Insight:
Adyen’s index report finds quite a surge in mobile-based commerce, and some turning away from tablets. The company sees that last trend continuing, and also predicted a possible switch of commerce to Android from iPhones. (That may not hold up after Tuesday’s report of record iPhone 6 sales and the success of Apple Pay.) Still, it’s the first time that mobile has accounted for a quarter-plus of e-commerce transactions.
“For many companies, mobile is now the primary sales channel, rather than simply a key sales channel, aided by the accelerated growth of mobile payments globally in the last quarter of 2014,” said Adyen chief commercial officer Roelant Prins in a statement. “A ‘mobile-first’ strategy is becoming a reality for more businesses as we move into Q1 2015.”
