Shopping online provides consumers with many advantages, including more convenience, easier product comparison and fast transaction processing. These are just some of the reasons why a number of people prefer to browse for and purchase merchandise online, and mobile devices are making web shopping even better.

Internet Retailer reports that according to recent research from comScore, customers increasingly took to their computers during 2013's first quarter to buy products. The study revealed that throughout the first three months of this year, consumers spent a total of $5.9 billion online, representing a 13 percent jump from the same time in 2012. For the first time, comScore also looked at how individuals used their mobile devices to conduct their internet shopping. The research found that $5.9 billion was spent through smartphones and tablets in the first quarter. Analysts expect this amount will continue to rise in the future, the source notes.

Although ecommerce will most likely grow significantly over the coming months and years, consumers still like to visit retailers' brick-and-mortar locations to find and buy the items they want. To accommodate both groups of patrons, merchants can implement point of sale solutions that are able to process payments in-store, online and through mobile devices.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, May 17th, 2013 at 3:59 am .