A growing number of consumers are using various devices to order goods for delivery services and browse potential purchases online, according to a new ecommerce survey.

The Global Online Shopper Report questioned 19,000 consumers across the world on their habits when purchasing goods over the internet.

It found that 55 per cent of respondents primarily use a laptop to shop online, while 19 per cent make purchases on a smartphone and 11 per cent browse for items using a tablet computer.

Furthermore, it revealed that people who are especially engaged with the ecommerce market and spend over 30 per cent of their disposable income online are more inclined to use mobile devices to buy items over the internet.

Globally, 55 per cent of heavy spenders have used a smartphone and 67 per cent a tablet to buy online in the last three months, indicating an increasing degree of interest in the m-commerce market.

This figure also means many people can buy items in places other than their home, with six per cent of respondents shopping online in college or university and seven per cent while in a bar or restaurant.

Philip McGriskin, chief product officer at WorldPay, noted that consumers are no longer "chained to their PCs" when it comes to buying goods over the internet, with the advent of m-commerce adding a new dimension to online sales.

"This increased mobility is expanding the audience of potential consumers for merchants to target but, in tandem, presents challenges in offering the best experience for these consumers whenever and wherever they demand it," Mr McGriskin pointed out.

M-commerce has become an increasingly important area for online retailers in recent years, with internet psychologist Graham Jones recently claiming that the level of convenience offered by smartphones and tablets is central to the appeal of internet sales.

Author:  Paul Burn