Online marketplace eBay has sent the Government its Mobile Manifesto eBay is submitting its Mobile Manifesto to the Government today, setting out what industry and policymakers must do in order to improve the UK’s mobile infrastructure in order to support growth in the country’s digital and retail economy.
The report includes seven ‘critical areas of focus’ that will boost the UK’s wider economic recovery through the support of this growing industry.
The eBay study found that consumers are being held back from spending owing to frustrations with the speed at which they can complete everyday functions like browsing and shopping on their smartphones.
Half of the 2,000 consumers questioned (45%) are in fact dissatisfied with the speed at which they can download data on their mobile phone.
With the auction for 4G spectrum suffering delays, eBay is calling for Ofcom to proceed as quickly as possible to enable the rollout of next generation broadband in 2013.
According to Verdict research, Ofcom should prioritise improvements to mobile internet coverage on transport routes such as railways and roads as over a third of consumers (36%) already shop on their mobiles whilst travelling — a number which could be boosted to benefit retailers with faster mobile internet and better coverage.
“As smartphone and tablet ownership increases there will be even greater potential rewards for companies investing in mobile, and this is particularly true for retailers,” added Mirian Lahage, Vice President of Global Fashion at eBay. “At eBay in the UK we now see around 10% of sales by value transacted on mobile devices, but we need the right infrastructure in the UK to match this demand. “
Anton Gething, Co-founder & Product Director at nToklo, the social commerce and recommendations experts, added: “I agree with the driving principles behind the manifesto eBay has put forward today. However, although one of the manifesto points is ‘optimising for mobile’ it seems more of a self supporting list for virtual online brands like eBay and does not emphasize enough the need to support the struggling brick and mortar retailers on the high streets and the opportunities mobile can offer to support this aspect of the retail economy.
“In addition to the longer systemic visions put forward in the manifesto, government should turn an immediate focus to promote and support the high street economy, which both employs and offers direct touchpoints to introduce new mobile strategies to consumers. Whether through improved access to Wi-Fi or educating consumers on how mobile devices and platforms can be used for mobile commerce, the High Street still offers a lucrative opportunity for retailers.”