Mobile devices are set to account for up to 20% of all online sales by Christmas, with one in three visits to ecommerce sites now coming from such devices, according to IMRG research.

The forecast was made after IMRG figures demonstrated that the amount of online sales generated by mobile devices accounted for 11.6% of total ecommerce sales between May and July this year (Q2).

The figures also show mobile’s share of total ecommerce sales was up from 8.2% during the previous quarter and that visits to retailer websites from mobiles also rose during the period to 21.1%, up from 16.4% in Q1.

The ecommerce trade body made the forecast in its most recent Quarterly Benchmarking Index, compiled by Capgemini, which also revealed that the rise of m-commerce was impacting upon bounce rates.

The study also revealed bounce rates for retailer websites hit 29%, a two-and-a-half year high, during the second quarter, this compares to an average of 24% throughout 2011.

Tina Spooner, Chief Information Officer at IMRG, responded to this statistic saying it was a sign that consumers were becoming more demanding.

“With the phenomenal growth seen in m-retail sales and visits, inevitably this also impacts the website visitor bounce rates, with fickle consumers easily able to compare and browse across multiple websites before completing a purchase,” she explained.

However, the report did contain additional plus-points with basket abandonment rates falling five percentage points from the previous quarter to 55%.

The trade body additionally reported the average basket abandonment rate for 2012 had been 58% to date, compared to 60% throughout last year.

Source: Amazon

Meanwhile, ecommerce giant Amazon has debuted in the UK daily deals market placing it in direct competition with rival online brands such as Groupon.

Amazon has launched a UK version of its Amazon Local Deals site earlier this week, sending promotional emails to London-based customers, highlighting its deals in the area.

A statement attributed to Gordon Willoughby, Amazon Local director for Amazon EU, reads: “Our aim is to be the place where customers can come to find anything that they want buy online, so offering great deals from local businesses like restaurants, spas and theatres is a logical addition to the tens of millions of products that can already be found at Amazon.”

Source: Amazon