Based on the surprising amount of mobile use during the 2011 holiday season and increasing discussion of showrooming overall, no one should be surprised by the current number of articles discussing mobile for the 2012 holiday season.
So what does this all really look like? I read the other day that more iPhones are sold each day than babies born, worldwide. That seems like a lot to me. And we know that iPhones are only a portion of the smartphone audience. Last February, iPhones made up 30% of smartphone preferences.


People love their smartphones for lots of different reasons and shopping is fast becoming an important one. A recent study by OnDevice Research shared that 24% of smartphone users participated in mCommerce because it was “the easiest way for me to do it.” The implication is that not only do smartphone users want mCommerce capabilities, the ease of use will become increasingly important.

More importantly, about 70% of smartphone users are spending at least $1 a month via their smartphone on goods or services. Ten percent of people are spending over $61 a month! Most often smaller purchases are for a smartphone experience such as an application, but increasingly the purchase is for other goods or services.

Among Millennials, mCommerce is even more prominent and 16% of 18-29 year olds claim shopping as important from their tablet device.

Based on all the research, there is no denying a need to be mobile ready for the upcoming holiday season. Last season, 11% of all online sales were through a mobile device. This season will be higher and everyone knows it’s coming. Make sure to be ready, engaging, simple, and authentic.