In 2017, retail ecommerce sales worldwide reached $2.304 trillion, 24.8% higher than 2016, eMarketer estimates.
Mobile was a key factor, with mcommerce sales of $1.357 trillion—making up 58.9% of all digital sales.
A majority of first-time digital buyers are now completing transactions via mobile devices, specifically smartphones. And as this audience becomes digitally mature—moving from browsing to buying—their purchase frequency and amount spent online will only increase.
Each region had notable growth in mobile’s share of ecommerce. In Asia-Pacific, the proportion grew from 70.3% in 2016 to 76.1% in 2017. In Western Europe—where tablets play a role in several countries—it jumped from 31.3% to 35.4% over the same period.