Mobile commerce sales may touch $638-bn mark by 2018: Assocham

Says e-tailers like Flipkart, Amazon and Jabong get 50% of their revenues from consumers shopping on their mobile phones

Global e-commerce sales via mobile devices are likely to hit USD 638 billion by 2018, said a study by ASSOCHAM-Deloitte.

The availability of e-commerce applications on various mobility devices is helping drive sales and thus, revenue at present, said the study released today.

"E-tailers like Flipkart, Amazon and Jabong now get 50 per cent of their revenues from consumers shopping on their mobile phones. Predictive analytics is helping the e-tailers provide better solutions real-time, enabling compelling user experience even on mobile screens," ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said.

However, while shoppers want real-time, relevant, and personalised information and offers, retailers need to ensure this service comes with very strong privacy and security. Trust, transparency, and protecting customer information will be critical to retaining loyalty as mobile retailing becomes the norm, stated the joint study.

The launch of wearables such as Google Glass and Apple Watch opens up newer avenues for reaching out to customers. The e-tailers are likely to keep an eye on developments on this front although it might be only an urban phenomenon at the moment, according to the study.

The e-marketplaces are seeing a significant growth with the increase in Internet penetration and smartphone usage. Internet-enabled handsets are making shopping a unique experience for buyers, it said.

The non-inventory-led B2C model also allows the e-commerce players to provide attractive discounts and offers that are difficult for inventory-led brick-and-mortar shops as well as pure e-tailers, the study pointed out.

On mode of payment, cash on delivery is the most preferred option in India, with 45 per cent of shoppers using it, while 21 per cent opt for debit cards and another 16 per cent credit cards, the analysis found.