Just a decade ago, virtually all E-commerce was conducted via laptops and desktops. But today, mobile drives E-commerce globally. And E-commerce remains the best growth vehicle for many companies. Check out this prior post: Important New Report on 2017 Internet Trends.
The chart below shows the rapid growth of retail E-commerce worldwide. Data compiled from eMarketer. And the chart by Statista: “This chart gives information on retail E-commerce sales worldwide from 2014 to 2021. In 2014, retail E-commerce sales worldwide amounted to 1.34 trillion U.S. dollars and E-retail revenues are projected to grow to 4.48 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021.” This represents a double-digit revenue increase and every year over this period.
At the same time that E-commerce grows, so does mobile phone use. And we show that in these two charts from Statista. The first shows mobile subscribers from 2010 to 2020. While the second shows smartphone users from 2014 to 2020. Growth is slowing down. However, both charts show an upward trend through 2020.
Mobile Drives E-Commerce Globally
Now, we turn to how mobile drives E-commerce globally. And it will continue to do so in the future.
“In 2017, retail E-commerce sales worldwide reached $2.32 trillion, a 24.8% increase over the previous year. And mobile was a key factor. As M-commerce sales totaled $1.357 trillion, making up 58.9% of digital sales. A jump in share from 40.2% in 2015.”
“A majority of first-time digital buyers now complete transactions via mobile devices. In particular, smartphones. In the future, this audience will become digitally mature — moving from browsing to buying. As a result, their purchase frequency and amount spent online will only increase.”
“And M-commerce purchases become more frequent. Mobile basket sizes and average spending grew in 2017. Each region had notable growth in mobile’s share of E-commerce. In Asia-Pacific, the proportion grew from 70.3% in 2016 to 76.1% in 2017. In Western Europe — where tablets play a role in several countries — it jumped from 31.3% to 35.4% over the same period.”
To highlight the above, take a look at the following eMarketer chart.
