ComScore: Mobile commerce up 23% in first quarter

Purchases via mobile devices grew nearly twice as fast as desktop e-commerce in the first quarter of 2014, according to ComScore’s most recent quarterly estimates of digital commerce.
Digital purchases via desktops rose 12% year-over-year to $56.1 billion for the quarter, ComScore reported – the 18th consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth, and the 14th in a row with double-digit increases.
Meanwhile, mobile commerce via smartphones and tablets contributed $7.3 billion for the quarter, up 23% from the same period last year. ComScore said that 62% of mobile purchases were made via smartphone, with 38% coming from tablets.
Overall digital commerce spending came in at $63.4 billion including both mobile and desktop purchases, ComScore estimated. The figures exclude auctions, autos and large corporate purchases.
Top online product categories were apparel and accessories, consumer packaged goods, sports and fitness, digital content and subscriptions, and home and garden; all of them grew at least 13% compared to the same period last year. ComScore also noted that desktop e-commerce accounted for nearly 12% of consumers’ discretionary spending, which is the highest first quarter share that the company has on record.
ComScore will hold a webinar discussing the results of the latest report on May 15.