“Mobile already accounts for 11% of e-commerce sales, and its share will jump to 25% by 2017,” he said. “In 2015, mobile commerce will become more important as most of the companies are shifting to m-commerce.”
With nearly one-third of internet users already making purchases online, the study noted that e-commerce growth will rely more on increased spending from existing buyers than first-time online buyers.
Moreover, the steady growth in the number of web shoppers also is helping to boost e-commerce sales. Many consumers will prefer the web to bricks-and-mortar retailers in large part because of online deals, about 52% of shoppers said they made purchases online rather than in stores because online retailers offered better deals, the study added.
Other factors contributing to the growth of e-commerce include aggressive merchandising and discounting from flash sale and daily deal, more online loyalty programs and increasing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers among consumers.