Online sales made via smartphones double in March as m-commerce booms

Smartphone sales rocketed 101% during the month compared with the same period in 2015, outstripping the 6% growth in sales made through tablets.

The trend drove an 11% increase in online sales during March, according to the IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index, as the average basket size grew to £82.

Across the wider quarter to the end of March, etail sales were up 15% year on year as smartphone sales surged 96%. Sales made through tablets increased 11% during the same three-month period.

The average basket value grew from £77 during the first quarter of 2015 to £81 this year.

IMRG Capgemini said home and garden was the “standout sector” after achieving its best performance since February 2014 with a 26% jump in sales year on year.

The category’s average basket value of £93 during March was its highest since October 2012.

However, that growth was driven by homewares. Sales in the home sub-sector advanced 33%, while garden registered a 12% slump.

The accessories category also performed “particularly well” last month, posting a 58% uplift in online sales – its highest growth since May last year.

Capgemini retail insight and data specialist Richard Tremellen said the double-digit growth in online sales across the first quarter of the year marked “a sizeable shift in consumers’ confidence in online shopping.”

IMRG chief information officer Tina Spooner added: “There is no doubt that larger screen sizes have enhanced the user experience on smartphones over recent years which is a key factor in the shift towards shopping on these devices.

“Not surprisingly, many retailers are placing a significant focus on their mobile strategy as consumers shift towards handheld devices when purchasing online.”