Shopping on mobile devices is set to increase by 584% this year from just £0.7bn in 2010

•    Shopping on mobile devices is set to increase by 53% in the next 12 months hitting £4.5bn, making Brits the biggest mobile shoppers in Europe for the third year running followed by Germany (£2.7bn) and France (£1.9bn)
•    Last year, almost half (46%) of mobile users in the UK owned a smart phone which led to shoppers spending a total of £3bn on mobile devices (£192 each on average), representing 8% of total online spend[1]
•    There are an estimated 24.6 million smartphones currently in the UK – up from virtually zero in 2005

TUESDAY 31st JANUARY 2012: A new report commissioned by Kelkoo and carried out by the Centre for Retail Research, provides the first available estimates of mobile shopping sales in 2011 across 13 European countries and includes mobile retail forecasts for 2012. The report reveals that, for the third year running, consumers in the UK are predicted to be the biggest mobile shoppers in Europe in 2012 and are expected to spend £4.5bn using mobile devices. This has increased from just £0.7bn in 2010, accelerated growth of 584% in just two years.
With total UK online sales set to increase by 14% in 2012 and smartphone usage at a record high, shopping using mobile devices will become an increasingly important part of retail sales, set to represent 8% of all online retail spending in the UK this year.
The UK is also expected to top this year’s European league for the highest proportion of all online spending using a mobile at 7.9%. Conversely, those in Poland (4.1%), France (4.6%) Denmark (5%) and Italy (5.3%) are expected to spend the lowest proportion of their online budget on their mobiles.

UK mobile retail growth to date
With 38% of all mobile users across Europe owning a smartphone – totalling 122.8 million phones in 2011 – the prevalence of mobile retail in Europe is expected to increase. In fact, the UK tops the European table again for smartphone ownership with 46% of mobile phone users owning a smartphone, accounting for 24.6 million phones in the UK.
When we look at spending per person, the UK also comes out on top – spending the most through their mobile devices in 2011 at £192 each. Despite having the third lowest overall mobile spend in 2011, those in Norway actually spent the second highest amount via a mobile device per person at £160, quickly followed by those in Sweden (£147). All of these countries are higher than the European average of £99. Comparatively, those in Italy (£23), Spain (£43) and Poland (£45) spent the least [1].

Chris Simpson, CMO Kelkoo, comments: “Over the last two years, shopping on mobile phones has increased exponentially as a result of simple and secure payment systems, better functionality and increased uptake of ‘always on’ mobile devices such as iPads and tablets. The fact that mobile retailing in the UK has grown by a staggering 584% since 2010 alone highlights how UK consumers are going beyond the PC to find the best online prices wherever they are. At Kelkoo we’ve seen phenomenal growth in mobile shopping comparisons and we’ll be working with our retailers to make the mobile shopping experience as easy as possible from comparison to purchase.”

For further information visit: www.Kelkoo.co.uk

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Note to Editors:
1. All figures taken from Online trends 2011 and the online trends 2012, mobile ecommerce note both of which were commissioned by Kelkoo and conducted by the Centre for Retail Research, Nottingham in December 2011 and January 2012 respectively. The report assesses the growth in online retailing (e-commerce or internet retailing) in thirteen European countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The results for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg have been combined with the data weighted in terms of their relative size. In the report online retailing deals with sale or transfer of merchandise (including software) and any related services such as shipment or installment purchased over the internet by the final consumer. The definition used takes into account and is consistent with the new Global eCommerce Measurement Standard, agreed in 2010. The report deals with retail spending (as defined in the new standard) and excludes online spending on tickets, travel, cars, fuel, pornography, insurance and financial services. Rates of exchange used: 3 December 2011, £1 =€1.1805 and data for previous periods have also been converted at that rate.

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