IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index: Smartphone now dominant device for buying online

In Q4 2018/19, which covers the traditional Christmas retail quarter of Nov, Dec, and Jan, the share of sales revenue spent through smartphone devices was 40.4%, with desktop securing 39.7% and tablet 19.9%. A further milestone was reached in December 2018, where smartphones accounted for over 70% of mobile device sales for the first time (the other 30% was spent through tablets).

UK shoppers are also increasingly using mobile devices for accessing retail sites. In Q4, just under three quarters (74.3%) of site visits were made through mobile devices, with just 25.7% made through desktops. To give this some perspective: back in 2015, the percentage of visits coming through smartphones and tablets versus desktops was even.

Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director, IMRG, said: “This is another significant step in smartphones becoming the dominant device through which we manage so many aspects of our lives. It has taken a little while though – the iPhone was first released in 2007, and for a long time people were visiting product pages through smartphones in large numbers but then completing purchases elsewhere. It wasn’t until late-2015 when it started to really gain traction as a fully transactional device for online shopping.

“This does not spell the end of other devices being used for online retail purchases, however – people tend to use multiple devices depending on which is most convenient. So, for example, during standard working hours a higher proportion of sales come through desktop as people are sat in front of their computers at work.”

Lucy Gibbs, Senior Consultant in Retail Analytics, Capgemini Invent: “Smartphones make it is easier than other forms to be truly omnichannel, which is about being where your customers are, and therefore are optimally placed for influencing the retail customer journey. The advancements over the last few years in mobile banking, in-app purchases and a greater focus on optimising m-commerce sites have all led to the facilitation and increased confidence in purchasing on smartphones.

“Although smartphones have now reached largest share in revenue, they are still seeing the lowest conversion rates, behind tablets and desktop. However, the significance of our use of mobile in influencing our buying decisions should not be underestimated even when we are completing purchases elsewhere.”

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About the ‘IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index’

IMRG and Capgemini’s data is sourced directly from 210 UK retailers, benchmarking performance across hundreds of metrics including sales performance split by sector, device and category, as well as operational indicators such as checkout abandonment rates, customer acquisition and retention, the customer funnel and site navigation.

About IMRG

For over 20 years, IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group) has been the voice of e-retail in the UK. We are a membership community comprising businesses of all sizes – multichannel and pureplay, SME and multinational, and solution providers to industry. We support our members through a range of activities – including market tracking and insight, benchmarking and best practice sharing. Our indexes provide in-depth intelligence on online sales, mobile sales, delivery trends and over 40 additional KPIs. Our goal is to ensure our members have the information and resources they need to succeed in rapidly-evolving markets – both domestically and internationally. www.imrg.org

About Capgemini

A global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, Capgemini is at the forefront of innovation to address the entire breadth of clients’ opportunities in the evolving world of cloud, digital and platforms. Building on its strong 50-year heritage and deep industry-specific expertise, Capgemini enables organizations to realize their business ambitions through an array of services from strategy to operations. Capgemini is driven by the conviction that the business value of technology comes from and through people. It is a multicultural company of over 200,000 team members in more than 40 countries. The Group reported 2018 global revenues of EUR 13.2 billion.