Back-to-school sales come before the big holiday season, and it is an indicator of how consumers will shop when Black Friday finally rolls around. The back-to-school ecommerce sales data released by NetElixir reports a 3 percent increase over the previous year, but a much better number in mobile orders and revenue.
A Surge in Mobile Ecommerce Growth
The 3 percent growth was significant, but the changing behavior of shoppers was more impressive. Mobile orders were up by 44 percent, while desktop orders were down 3 percent. And when it came to revenue, the numbers were even more dramatic. Mobile revenue was up by 64 percent, with desktop managing a meager 2 percent.
For small businesses still on the fence about their mobile presence, the latest data from NetElixir is a wakeup call.
Udayan Bose, CEO, NetElixir, explained the trend in mobile commerce. “Every year, the spend on mobile just keeps accelerating and we can confidently say that mobile sales percentage contribution will continue to increase. People are getting more comfortable making purchases directly on mobile devices, which means retailers need to be prepared to convert consumers on mobile.”
In another positive trend for mobile commerce, the average order value (AOV) is increasing, quickly closing the 30 – 35 percent gap desktop enjoyed. In the survey, the AOV of desktop now stands at $132, while mobile came in at $109. But a more revealing data is, the increase was only $5 for desktop and $13 for mobile from the 2016 figures, bringing the gap to under 15 percent.
How is it Going to Affect Holiday Sales?
In its Holiday Forecasts report, NetElixir is projecting a 10 percent ecommerce sales growth for 2017, which is down by one percent from the previous year. The company says 35 percent of all online purchases will happen through mobile phones.
Businesses integrating mobile presence with near-me searches along with buy online and pick-up in-store features will experience more opportunities.
Takeaway For Small Businesses
The NetElixir survey spanned 40 days, from July 27 to September 5, 2017. But in that time, the survey analyzed 80 million ecommerce sessions on mobile and desktop.
Simply put, mobile commerce is growing. And as a small business, you have to do all you can to have a mobile presence, and if you do optimize it for commerce.
Woman Buys School Supplies Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “Back to School eCommerce Sales Jump 3 Percent Over 2016” was first published on Small Business Trends