U.S. E-commerce: Mobile Devices and Alternative Payments Bring Retail Online

U.S. E-commerce: Mobile Devices and Alternative
Payments Bring Retail Online

New research from Mercator Advisory Group highlights e-commerce
developments and trends

Boston, MA -- Online retail sales growth increased for a second consecutive year in 2011, a feat that was not achieved from 2001 through 2010. And while the segment might not be growing as quickly as it was at the turn of the century, several trends indicate that online retail's resurgence could be sustainable.

The distinction between online and offline retail is beginning to dissolve, and the Internet is now affecting a majority of purchases, even those that are not made online. Mercator Advisory Group's newest report, U.S. E-Commerce: Mobile Devices and Alternative Payments Bring Retail Online, describes how smartphones and alternative online payment forms are changing the way consumers conduct commerce and compares the transactions consumers choose to make in stores with transactions executed online.

Highlights of the report include:

Estimated U.S. total payment volume of online retail and travel purchases, including Mercator Advisory Group's online retail projections through 2015

U.S. online travel agency market share estimates and an industry breakdown of the travel segment

An analysis of recent trends regarding mobile device adoption and their potential impact on U.S. e-commerce volume

An eBay/PayPal case study that analyzes the company's recent success, highlighting examples of alternative payment form best practices

Michael Misasi, Research Analyst at Mercator Advisory Group and author of the report comments, "Even though less than 6 percent of retail sales were made online in 2011, an increase in mobile connectivity, the innovation of alternative payment forms, and an improved online shopping experience will drive e-commerce growth in the future. As a medium for commerce, the Internet affords shoppers a level of product variety and price transparency that no brick-and-mortar retail location can match, and Mercator expects e-commerce to continue its steady penetration of the U.S. retail market."

One of the 17 exhibits included in this report:

The report is 26 pages long and contains 17 exhibits.

Companies mentioned in this report include: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, AJB Software eBay, Amazon, Google, Priceline, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Newegg, Overstock, Best Buy, Linens 'N Things, Circuit City, Blockbuster, Sears, GameStop, Lowe's, Nordstrom, Walgreens, Walmart, and Staples.

Members of Mercator Advisory Group's Credit Advisory Service have access to this report as well as the upcoming research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access and other membership benefits.

Please visit us online at www.mercatoradvisorygroup.com.

For more information and media inquiries, please call Mercator Advisory Group's main line: (781) 419-1700, send E-mail to info@mercatoradvisorygroup.com.

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About Mercator Advisory Group
Mercator Advisory Group is the leading, independent research and advisory services firm exclusively focused on the payments and banking industries. We deliver pragmatic and timely research and advice designed to help our clients uncover the most lucrative opportunities to maximize revenue growth and contain costs. Our clients range from the world's largest payment issuers, acquirers, processors, merchants and associations to leading technology providers and investors. Mercator Advisory Group is also the publisher of the online payments and banking news and information portal PaymentsJournal.com.