• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, January 21, 2013

It’s a common tenet in mobile circles that there’s a lot of money in mobile, though where the money is seen can be determined by a person’s point of view.

For example, if you look at mobile retail sales, as a Forrester forecast did last week, mCommerce will reach $12 billion this year and $31 billion four years from now. eMarketer says U.S. consumers will spend $37 billion on retail purchases by smartphones and tablets this year.

But it would be serious miscalculation to view mobile commerce as including only those numbers, no matter which range you agree or disagree with.

Mobile payments alone are projected to go from $18 billion this year to $90 billion in four years, according to Forrester, which still is a partial picture of the scope.

Mobile commerce sales at eBay this year are expected to hit $20 billion, and that’s just one company.

What is not so obvious, or at least reported in many research reports, is the impact mobile has on commerce.

A person may use their tablet for research before heading to a store, use their smartphone while shopping to compare prices, text friends for advice and end up purchasing the item at the store. The data looks like traditional retail sales but the mobile impact or influence could have been the determining factor.

A Deloitte Digital study last year actually measured the influence of mobile on retail sales and concluded that within three years, mobile-influenced store sales will amount to between $628 billion and $752 billion.

And that’s where the real money in mobile is, in the hidden influence of mCommerce.