It is crucial that companies adapt to m-commerce and offer consumers the ability to order goods for courier delivery using their smartphones and tablets, according to internet psychologist Graham Jones.

Mr Jones was responding to the latest British Retail Consortium – Google Online Retail monitor, which revealed an 11 per cent jump in retail search volumes and a striking 132 per cent year-on-year leap in the number of sales searches made over mobile devices, including tablets and Android phones.

He stressed the importance of convenience to people engaging in online shopping, indicating that the use of mobile devices is a way to make things even easier for consumers.

For small items such as those purchased in the health and beauty or food sector "anything we can do to save time in buying them is something we prefer", suggested Mr Jones.

Other aspects of m-commerce such as the ability to compare prices while out and about are largely reserved for more high-end goods, according to the psychologist.

He added that the increasing market penetration and widespread proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets means it is "fundamental" that companies make themselves ready to sell over these channels, as this is likely to be a growth market in the coming years.

"Businesses that are not mobile ready and who do not have in-store Wi-Fi are going to suffer, because consumers want to be able to access the internet in shops," suggested Mr Jones.

He explained that the ability to check prices while in a bricks-and-mortar store and the option of ordering goods for delivery services while still shopping in town are two of the crucial activities people are likely to engage in through m-commerce, with the desire for a more streamlined and convenient lifestyle central to this demand from consumers.

Author:  Paul Burn