Purchases through mobile shopping have more than doubled in India over the past two years, propelled by expediency.
Results of the MasterCard Online Shopping Survey 2014, which covers 14 countries, showed that China continues to lead the chart among mobile shoppers with 70.1% of the respondents polled having used the device to make online purchases. India (62.9%) and Taiwan (62.6%) closely follows. Thailand (58.8%) and Indonesia (54.9%) rounded off the top five.
In India, the ability to shop on the go (47.7%), the growing availability of apps that makes it easier to shop (45.3%) and convenience (38.1%) have emerged as the most compelling reasons for driving smartphone shopping.
Mobile phones/mobile gadget apps (28.8%) topped the list of items purchased through smartphones, followed by tickets for cinema/movie theatres (26.7%) and clothing/fashion accessories (24%).
For online transactions, the most common payment methods used are debit cards and cash. New mobile technologies are also gaining traction among consumers in the region, with mobile banking apps having the highest awareness-familiarity levels (38.3%) followed by in-app shopping (28.7%) and digital wallets (24.4%).
The number of Indian respondents who have made at least one purchase in the last three months also increased from 70.9% in 2012 to 94% in 2014.
“Digital payment solutions like mobile banking apps and digital wallets will go a long way to further enrich the purchasing experience for the ever-evolving consumer,” said Vikas Varma, Area Head, South Asia, MasterCard. “The survey shows that there is a strong need to provide not only secure, but also convenient payments solutions as consumers move to a more digital and sophisticated lifestyle.”