

The number of annual purchases made via mobiles, tablets, desktops and other connected devices should reach $125 billion transactions annually by 2018, up by more than 60% on this year's total.
That's according to Juniper Research's recent study - Mobile & Online Purchases: Cards, Carrier Billing & Third Party Payment Platforms 2015-2020.
The research firm says the medium-term growth will be driven by a variety of factors - a rise in "commuter commerce" (on-the-go purchases) which would itself be fuelled by greater deployments of WiFi and 4G connectivity on public transport.
Also it observed that digital transaction volumes would be further bolstered with the continued transition from physical formats (such as DVDs and CD-ROMs) to digital, and the rise in streamed subscription services.
At the same time, traditional bricks and mortar retailers have realised that online can be a critical mechanism both for consumer engagement and sales uplift, says Windsor Holden, head of forecasting and consultancy at Juniper Research.
According to Holden, the momentum for growth comes from the mobile (smartphone and tablet) sphere, with the Chinese market in particular experiencing stellar increases.
Nearly $450 billion in e-retail sales during 2014 came from China, surpassing the US ($296 billion) to become the largest single market, with Japan, the UK and France completing the top five.
In 2015, despite the dramatic increase in purchases via smartphones and tablets, two-thirds (66%) of global e-retail spend occurred via desktops and laptops, says Juniper Research.
However, this proportion is diminishing year-on-year as, in many countries, user behaviour shifts to purchasing via mobile devices, it adds.
In terms of transaction volumes in purchases via mobile, Africa and the Middle East should see markedly higher growth (61%) this year than most developed markets, such as the US (31%) and the UK (35%), says Holden.
However, the research firm cautioned that several high-profile data breaches at retailers had resulted in significant consumer unease, he adds.
Holden points out although the impact has not been significant on the market as a whole, what Juniper is seeing in some cases is churn away from affected sites.
"At worst, data breaches can lead to significant customer churn, together with possible remuneration requirements. Consumers need to be reassured that their vital information is not being compromised or shared."
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