We have known for quite a while now that ecommerce is increasingly popular with consumers. We have also known for quite a while that smartphones are being used more and more.

Now, data from a new study by comScore suggests that the major European markets are increasingly turning to ecommerce through the mobile web – something that is sure to interest marketers, designers and entrepreneurs alike.

It was found that over the past 12 months, the combined group of the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain almost doubled its mobile retail market. A sixth of all smartphone users in those countries were found to have made use of retail apps or sites on their phones.

More than this, an eighth of users actually did a retail transaction through their smartphones. It is thought that part of the reason for the increase in people making such transactions is the fact that processes for making purchases on mobiles has been simplified. It wasn’t that long ago where it was cumbersome and complicated to make a retail transaction on a smartphone, but it seems that this is changing as more consumers start to make use of the mobile web on a regular basis.

These figures could provide some food for thought for e-retailers; now seems like a very good time to start getting serious about a mobile strategy for ecommerce, particularly as it seems as though this is a trend that is set to continue – particularly within that group of 5 countries looked at in the recent comScore survey.

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