Research based on billions of online transactions finds mobile devices accounted for 4.6 percent of retail revenues in March, up from 1.9 percent in April 2011, with the iPad driving nearly all shopping, browsing and purchasing in this emerging channel.



“Twenty years later, Apple's ground-breaking 'Think Different' ad campaign can be recast as 'Shop Different' for the iPad,” said David Selinger, CEO for RichRelevance, which published the study. “To succeed in this quickly evolving landscape, retailers need to understand how shopping behavior changes as consumers hop between devices and be prepared to tailor the shopping experience in every channel, ensuring continuity and seamlessness regardless of choice of access.”


According to the study, iPad users spent significantly more time and money on retail sites than other mobile users. Data from March 2012 shows that:


  • iPad users constitute the bulk of all mobile shoppers-accounting for about two-thirds (68%) of shoppers. 
  • The iPad accounts for 90% of all mobile revenue (and 4% of total retail revenue). 
  • Conversion rates were also strongest with the iPad (1.5% for iPad vs. 0.57% for other mobile devices). 
  • Average pages per session were highest for the iPad compared with all other mobile devices, at nearly 6 pages per session (5.7 for iPads vs. 3.6 for iPhone vs. 4.1 for other mobile devices).

IPad users spend dramatically more – on fewer items – than other mobile shoppers. When compared to online shoppers, iPad users spend approximately the same amount on an average order, but buy much more expensive products.



  • The iPad had the highest average order value (AOV) of any mobile device: $158 for iPad vs. $105 for other mobile devices vs. $104 for iPhone and other iOS devices in March 2012. 
  • Interestingly, AOV for iPad shopping is creeping ahead of the AOV from desktop computers. ($158 for iPad vs. $153 from desktops). 
  • While they spend more per average order, iPad shoppers had on average fewer number of items per order of any mobile device (2.98 for iPad vs. 4.22 for other iOS devices vs. 4.41 for all other mobile devices in March 2012) 
  • Overall, iPad shoppers averaged $52.66 per item vs. $21.86 per item for desktop users and $23.80 for other mobile users.

iPad Rules The Weekend


 


  • iPad share of shopping sessions (viewing, not necessarily buying) increases on the weekends, reaching 7% on weekends vs. 5% during the week. 
  • iPad share of sessions climbs in the evening hours, from around 5 pm until 9 pm, reaching 9.45% at 9 p.m., rising from a low point (.4%) at 3 a.m. 
  • In comparison, traffic from all other mobile devices is stable on weekdays and weekends, accounting for about 1.3% of all sessions
  • On average, about 6% of all orders originate on mobile devices (iPad included) on weekends vs. 4% on weekdays.

The 2012 Q1 Mobile Study by RichRelevance Shopping Insights is based on more than 4.4 billion shopping sessions on US retail websites between April 1, 2011 and March 25, 2012.These retailers include mass merchants, as well as small and specialty retailers, including 10 of the 25 largest retailers on the web.