Mobile Commerce Statistics UK [2024]

We have grown too fond of technology, so much that we carry our mobile devices wherever we go and use them to access new information, communicate, and even conduct commercial transactions online. 

Before we begin, if you’re wondering what percentage of eCommerce is mobile in the UK, one-third of all shoppers used their mobile devices to make a purchase in 2019.

We’re going to look into the latest mobile commerce statistics UK and see how the opportunity to transfer money via mobile phone affects our lives and businesses. To condense this article, we highlighted some of the most interesting mobile commerce statistics:

Mobile Commerce Statistics UK

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that more people (34% of respondents) used their smartphone to purchase something on the internet. Although we spend a lot of time on our phones, more than half of web traffic in the UK is desktop. 

Shopping online isn’t just a convenient way to purchase goods and gain access to new markets, but it has also become a part of our culture. In 2019, one-third of all online shopping in the UK was realized through mobile devices, yet it’s noteworthy that the forecasts on mobile commerce in retailing expect the sale values in the UK to reach 100 billion by the end of 2024. 

Internet shopping statistics for 2020 show that Britons have also been using tablets (4.41%) and smartphones (2.9%) to purchase something from eCommerce websites. In 2019, 3.47% of shoppers bought their products via mobile, so it’s safe to say that the global pandemic has affected this business model and caused a drop in sales in the UK. 

As mentioned before, forecasts don’t expect the sales value in the UK to drop any time soon. In 2024, the total UK eCommerce turnover will grow to roughly £266 billion if the UK shoppers continue to place orders via mobile and desktop devices.

The revenue growth of 10.78% in 2020 is a clear sign that people have spent more money on online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile shopping statistics UK for 2020 demonstrate potential revenue growth in the following years. If UK shoppers continue to spend more money online, the revenue from mCommerce will reach £105.28 billion in 2024. 

In 2018, the revenue of shopping companies in the UK reached £26.9 billion. However, 2019 was a better year for online shopping companies since the transactions via mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones led to this massive revenue growth of £6.4 billion. 

Mobile commerce is gaining traction and, altering the dynamics of e-commerce along the way. The reason behind this is the increased use of mobile devices by the general public. In 2021, nearly every individual between the ages of 16 and 34 in the United Kingdom reported owning a smartphone.

The COVID-19 pandemic will have a long-lasting effect on mCommerce, and online companies seem to have nothing against this opportunity for revenue growth. For example, eBay.uk temporarily dropped registration fees for small businesses (up to 250 items) to increase their chances of selling goods during the pandemic. 

Mobile Payments

In 2020, mobile payments in the UK were higher than in any other European country, and mobile wallets were the most popular method of online shopping. According to Statista’s online mobile shopping statistics, the UK only ranked behind Denmark and Sweden in terms of mobile payment penetration in 2021.

Customers who shopped from retailers who didn’t rely on mobile wallet payments (92%) had to use their desktops to place online orders. 

Generation Z was the first shopper group in the UK to adjust to payments via mobile. Almost half of all survey participants from this consumer group started using mobile devices to shop online. If you’re wondering what’s up with the 90’s kids, only 32% of Millennials who were a part of this mCommerce statistics know how to handle online payments. 

Today’s world is all about efficiency, so many people prefer mobile apps for paying instead of other options. In 2019, 5% of baby boomers switched to apps for payments. Only 14% of survey participants aged 27-37 started using apps to purchase goods online, which is way less than senior millennials (38%). 

Most Popular Shopping Apps and Websites

Lidl Plus is another example of the leading Android shopping app in the UK, with over 244.9 thousand downloads. Ranked by daily active users, the most used Google Play shopping app during October 2020 in the UK was Wish, with almost 262.7 thousand Google Play store users who used this app daily. 

Shop: Package And Order Tracker was the most used shopping app with 285.4 thousand downloads from iPhone users

Nearly 277 thousand iPhone users downloaded Amazon by the end of January 2021. eBay was third on the list, with 146.1 thousand downloads. Other popular shopping apps in the UK are SHEIN (132.08 thousand downloads), Tesco Clubcard (108.31 thousand downloads) and many more. 

Smartphone usage statistics show that in 2020, the most used shopping app by daily active users was Amazon. It’s safe to say that 2.3 million iPhone users in the UK visit the Amazon app daily. iPad users love the Amazon shopping app too, and approximately 273 iPad users rely on this app when making an online purchase.

The number of total visitors to Amazon websites on mobile devices in the UK increased to over 37 million in 2020, a significant increase over previous years. eBay and Sainsburys came in second and third with over 25 and almost 17 million mobile visitors, respectively.

Conclusion

Mobile commerce is a solution we’ve been waiting for because it allows us to make purchases regardless of our location, but it can also help us save time and find new products and services faster. 

2020 was undoubtedly the best year for retailers, mainly because the global pandemic urged people to spend more money on online shopping. We hope that the mobile commerce statistics UK have helped you understand this business model better and notice the massive shift in consumer behaviour.