According to a new report from Juniper Research, the value of remote transactions for digital and physical goods purchased via mobile devices will exceed $730 billion annually by 2017. The research company goes on suggesting that the growth will be driven by the increasing scale of real-world (non-digital) purchases from major brands and retailers, with companies such as Domino’s in the US and Argos in the UK already seeing 6-7% of all sales occurring via the mobile channel.
Tablets are also pointed out as important devices that will shape the future of mobile transactions as consumers are already engaging in online shopping while watching TV, the trend that would result in mobile and “nomadic devices” accounting for 30% of eRetail within five years. However, Juniper also observed that such transactions would continue to comprise a small minority of a global retail sales marketplace, currently worth more than $16 trillion.
Overall, digital goods sales will continue to rise in tandem with smartphone/tablet growth, particularly across lifestyle/infotainment applications. However, despite the dramatic increase in sales, transaction security is still an issue for consumers