Mobile Shopping to Reach Record-Breaking Levels in November and December 2024

Mobile shopping is poised to hit unprecedented levels this holiday season, with consumers in the US increasingly turning to their smartphones for Thanksgiving and year-end deals, Phone Arena reports.

Adobe Analytics forecasts that mobile spending in November and December will reach $128.1 billion, representing a 12.8% increase from last year’s record of $113 billion.

According to a report from Reuters, younger shoppers, especially those aged 18 to 24, are leading this surge by using mobile apps to make purchases while spending time with family during the holidays. This shift highlights a growing preference for mobile shopping over traditional desktop purchases, a trend confirmed by Caila Schwartz, consumer insights director at Salesforce. Schwartz notes that the long-standing practice of browsing on phones and completing purchases on desktops is fading.

Retailers have significantly improved mobile shopping by streamlining payment options, such as Google Pay and Apple Pay, and by providing personalized recommendations based on customer preferences. These enhancements have made mobile transactions more seamless and appealing, enabling users to make quick and convenient purchases.

Minkyung Kim, a marketing professor at Carnegie Mellon University, points out that Gen Z consumers’ comfort with mobile shopping and price comparisons may influence their families’ shopping habits, further boosting mobile sales during the holidays.

Mobile transactions, which encompass purchases made on smartphones, tablets, and laptops, are projected to account for 53% of total online holiday spending. This marks a significant rise from last year, when mobile spending accounted for $113 billion. By late November, more than half of all online purchases were already made on mobile devices, with mobile-generated sales reaching $39.9 billion in the first 24 days of the month—a 13.3% increase year-over-year.