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Mobile Dominates Path to Purchase: Criteo’s Q3 Mobile Commerce Report Uncovers Pivotal Cross-Device Trends Driving Sales
50 percent of eCommerce transactions include a cross-device journey
Apps are delivering higher conversion and over 50 percent of sales for committed retailers
Smartphones are the dominant mobile purchasing platform in the U.S.

New York – September 28, 2015– Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO), the performance marketing technology company, today released its Q3 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report. This quarterly analysis of industry wide trends arms marketers with essential mobile commerce intelligence for engaging consumers and boosting sales. Criteo’s comprehensive analysis of 1.4 billion online transactions reveals that four in 10 purchases in the U.S., and 50 percent worldwide, now involve multiple devices throughout the consumer buying journey.

Criteo’s research shows that early investment in apps is also generating significant payback for eCommerce companies that prioritized this platform. In the retail category, brands that make their app experience a priority generate nearly 60 percent of mobile revenue from the app, up from 50 percent in Q2, and heavily outperforming desktops. For travel brands that make their apps a priority, about 50 percent of mobile revenue comes from the app.

“We continue to see the rise of mobile commerce in a cross-device world. Advertising strategies now need to include mobile at the center if companies want to engage today’s savvy consumer. Marketers need to pay close attention to the consumer’s purchasing journey if they want to attract buyers and maximize sales,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo.

Report Highlights:

Cross-Device is the Norm

Consumers are browsing and buying on all devices—laptops, tablets and smartphones. For brands to succeed, they need to invest in mobile and allocate digital spend strategically:

  • For purchases completed on laptops and desktops, 39 percent of buyers use at least one additional device during the shopping process.
  • On mobile, 43 percent of smartphone buyers and 47 percent of tablet buyers use an additional device.
  • Cross-device purchasers are 20 percent more likely to use their mobile device to complete a transaction.

Apps are the Next Frontier

Brands that prioritize apps as a key revenue driver see profits surge. Ensuring that the app experience is seamless, intuitive and engaging is central to boosting engagement and conversions:

  • For retailers who have prioritized their app experience, 58 percent of all mobile revenue is generated through the app; travel is at 49 percent.
  • Apps convert at a rate of 3.7 times higher than mobile browsers and two times more than desktop in terms of adding to basket and buying.

Smartphones are Favored

Consumers are more frequently choosing smartphones as the preferred shopping device. While all devices and channels should be optimized, smartphones are a key vehicle for brands:

  • Smartphones generate 56 percent of mobile transactions and drive 64 percent of mobile purchases for top quartile retailers.
  • Smartphone conversion rate is two times better for top quartile retailers than average retailers.

Global mCommerce is Up

Mobile commerce activity is growing worldwide with Japan, the UK and South Korea seeing the most retail eCommerce transactions. Global brands need to be tuned into how different consumer segments behave in order to deliver the best cross-device and mobile experiences:

  • Mobile commerce now represents 35 percent of eCommerce transactions globally with the U.S. in the middle.
  • Cross-device purchasing is represented by 50 percent of eCommerce transactions worldwide.

Download the complete Criteo Q3 2015 State Of Mobile Commerce report here.