Wow! I shop online using my phone but even I was surprised to read that online shopping in the US tripled between 2008 to 2009, according to ABI Research which released its Mobile Commerce report last week.They also predict that 2010 will see a sharp increase in online commerce (shopping).

According to ABI Research, approximately $1.2 billion dollars in trade took place using smartphones and in 2010 that number is expected to double.  Consumers shopping online frequently do impulse buying
But the trend goes beyond comparison shopping. The report shows that consumers are using their smartphones for impulse shopping such as buying video games and social networking games. Also items like pizza and flowers were quick purchase items via mobile phone.
 
The reason this is an easy way to shop is because consumers can pay for these items simply by entering their phone number. No credit card is required because the charge is added to the user's cell phone bill which is then deducted from their monthly billing.

International ecommerce trade is predicted to grow as well as mobile usage is gaining popularity across the world. The report predicts that internationally, users will spend around $119 billion by 2015.

So double-WOW! The question that begs an answer is how will retailers begin taking advantage of this trend in online ecommerce? So many companies are still not actively accepting online payments from the web, never mind from mobile phones. It's time for retailers to spruce up their web presence and make sure that their website not only accepts online payment but also is mobile compatible to accept mobile orders. So get set pizza parlors, icecream shops, florists, car washes, and companies that deal in impulse or casual items for sale. It's time to get online and mobile!