During this year’s holdiday shopping season, some 92% of all online sales generated by mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) were made from devices running iOS from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL). That number represents just 3.74% of all online transactions, so maybe Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), with its Android mobile operating system, and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) and its Kindle family aren’t missing out on much yet.
The numbers, according to research firm RichRelevance, are growing though, and merchants should take notice of how mobile devices are affecting shopping habits.
Perhaps the most important metric from a merchant’s point of view is the average order value. An order placed from an Apple device averages $123, while an order placed from an Android device averages $101. An order placed from a desktop computer averages $87.
Right now, with less than 4% of total orders going to any mobile device, most merchants would rather scramble for the 96% of sales that average $87. How much this proportion will change over the next few years is what this story’s all about.
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