The report with the catchy title “Online Retail Index” shows that mobile commerce has been growing in popularity among mobile consumers that favour their smartphones and devices over traditional means of shopping. Many of these consumers have become comfortable with the concept of shopping online but are becoming less likely to remain tethered to stationary computers while they do it.

Mobile technology has allowed these tech-savvy consumers to shop wherever they are, enabling them to shop more frequently and, in some cases, spend more money. IBM said that mobile commerce grew by 31 per cent in the first quarter of this year, up from where it had been in the same period of 2012. It claimed that the tablet is a major contributing factor to the growth in mobile commerce. Apparently the tablet has become a convenient mobile shopping platform.

The report indicates that mobile commerce now accounts for 17.4 per cent of all online retail sales. This is expected to grow in the future as more consumers become acclimated to the concept of mobile shopping and purchasing products with nothing more than their smartphones or tablets.

Augmented reality and QR codes, have also helped to boost the adoption of mobile commerce. These technologies have been able to engage consumers in a new and dynamic way, encouraging them to make purchases of products that they are most interested in. In the case of QR codes, consumers have been able to make use of retailer discounts at a higher frequency, as long as they purchase products from a mobile device, the report said.