The Jones Group, which represents more than 35 brands including Nine West, Jones New York, Anne Klein and Easy Spirit, is equipping store associates with iPod touch devices to complement traditional registers and better assist customers on the floor.

Fat Brain Toys launched its tablet-optimized site on Thanksgiving 2012. Today, the first batch of results are in show the retailer made a wise move in tackling tablets. Comparing the first 45 days after Thanksgiving with the iPad site up and running with the 45 days prior to Thanksgiving, the conversion rate on tablets increased 221%.

Many mCommerce predictions have suggested that within the next four to five years, there will be billions of dollars worth of purchases being made over smartphones and tablets. Though the consensus throughout the industry seems to be that this is correct in terms of its direction, analysts can't seem to come to an agreement regarding the necessary time frame for this achievement.

A third of mobile users said they planned to use their device more this year than last and mobile users have plans to use their devices for more online shopping in 2013 and 23% want to up their use of mobile payments.

Over the next five years, in-store mobile payments will far outpace the growth of mCommerce (representing 90% of the total mobile payments market in 2012), says Forrester. By the end of 2017, Forrester forecasts mCommerce to drop from 90% to 50% share, while in-store payments will jump from 4% to 45% share.

It's safe to expect a dramatic increases in mobile shoppers and buyers this year and well into the future, based on new research. Whether at home or on the go, eMarketer says consumers are relying on their phones to browse and research products before buying.

According to Ofcom, smartphone penetration in the UK now stands at 58% while 19% of the population owns a tablet, so websites have no choice but to adapt to accommodate the ensuing changes in consumer behavior. With this in mind, here are some of the most useful stats and surveys from the past 12 months.

NFC (near field communication) is finding other ways to make itself useful. In fact, paying for items with one's phone seems to be the least common use for the close-range connectivity technology, at least based on gadgets unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. Rather, essentially all products using NFC shown at the recent confab employed the technology in one of two ways: To set up a sort of digital handshake between a mobile device and another gadget or as a way to share information between products with just a tap.

With digital storefronts just an arm's length away, millions are reaching first for their smartphone when the urge to shop strikes. Whether at home or on the go, these consumers use their phones to browse and research products, hunt for deals and make purchases.

Research In Motion (RIM) has announced that it has just received its mobile payments method approval from the Visa credit card system due to its ability to securely handle the processes and transactions.