Global digital commerce spending to grow 11% to $11.6tn this year

Mobile commerce will account for 73% of all digital trade transactions by value

Juniper said the success of online shopping during the pandemic means that consumer behaviour will become increasingly digital. AP

Digital commerce spending is expected to surge to more than $11.6 trillion by the end of this year, rising nearly 11.5 per cent from $10.5tn last year, according to a new report.

This amount includes money transfers and payments related to digital as well as physical goods purchases, digital ticketing, banking, bills and NFC mobile retail, Hampshire-based Juniper Research said in a report on Tuesday.

Mobile commerce will account for 73 per cent of all digital trade transactions by value this year, a figure that is set to rise to 79 per cent by 2025.

Mobile has emerged as the most important way to access services and user experiences must be mobile-first, the report said.

“Mobile apps are the dominant force in digital commerce, with user experiences becoming critical as products become heavily commoditised,” Nick Maynard, author of the research report, said.

“Merchants must leverage AI-based analytics to ensure a truly personalised mobile commerce experience … or they will lose out to more digitally adept merchants,” he added.

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the uptake of cross-border digital commerce and payments. Digital payment systems have made it easier for small and medium enterprises to continue operations and for consumers to purchase goods and services from around the world.

Juniper Research said that consumer behaviour will become increasingly digital, rather than reverting to pre-pandemic norms.

However, reactive digital commerce strategies built by merchants during the pandemic need to turn into proactive, long-term strategies that offer the best user experiences, as competition in the digital commerce ecosystem intensifies, it added.

In January, global payments company Mastercard said up to 30 per cent of the Covid-related surge in digital e-commerce spending is set to be a permanent feature as the online share of retail spending in the Middle East and Africa region grows.

The company said 73 per cent of consumers in the region are shopping more online than they did before the pandemic.