A recent article on Internet Retailer talks about the debate over whether or not tablets should be counted as m-commerce. It’s an interesting discussion and one that will continue to get more focus as m-commerce sales keep climbing. Industry studies show that tablet sales are currently included in m-commerce figures and are widely considered a mobile device among retailers.
Mark Beccue, a senior analyst at ABI Research, argues that e-commerce that is conducted using a tablet is not m-commerce. “Lumping e-commerce conducted via a tablet such as an iPad or Kindle Fire with e-commerce conducted via a mobile phone is misleading when we collectively call them mobile commerce,” states Beccue. He believes there should be three distinct device categories: desktop/laptop, tablets, and smartphones.
Regardless of where tablets are clumped, retailers understand that they need to plan and strategize for mobile phones and tablets separately since each offers their own unique set of capabilities and limitations. A good experience on a retail site does not always equate to a good experience on a smartphone or tablet, so retailers must continue to evolve if they hope to keep those growing m-commerce sales from stalling.
Read more at internetretailer.com.
