With the onset of the mainstream internet and e-commerce, shopping began to change. And with the added proliferation of mobile e-commerce in recent years, the former concept of shopping as a physical, location-based activity began rapidly changing, further transforming into what it is now: pervasive, on-the-go, and 24/7. Because of that, retailers desperately need a strong online presence in order to be available to the constantly searching, scrolling, typing, clicking, zooming, and browsing catalog of consumers. Online video, and most recently shoppable video, play increasingly significant roles in this effort, but so do well-designed, mobile-optimized websites with easy-to-navigate user interfaces, …

Mobile devices are edging closer to fulfilling their long-delayed promise as digital wallets. Consumers are beginning to see the advantage of channeling offline payments through their mobile devices, rather than carrying around clunky coins and cash - even debit and credit cards. We think mobile payments are poised for takeoff, for three main reasons.

EBay is turning to its same-day delivery mobile application to let consumers look for and purchase last-minute Father's Day gifts. Via the eBay Now app, consumers can make purchases and have them delivered anywhere in the city in about an hour. Currently, same-day delivery is only offered in San Francisco, New York and San Jose.

Business models focused around in-application payments will contribute to significant growth for mobile and portable gaming, according to a new report from App Annie and IDC. App Annie and IDC E3's "The Future of Mobile & Portable Gaming" special edition report looks at which devices and business models will fuel the gaming industry in the next 18 months. The report also dives into particular areas that will see the strongest growth.

A Build-A-Bear Workshop executive at the 2013 MultiScreen Summit said that QR codes on marketing pieces such as direct mail and Web give consumers an incentive to come in-store to unlock customized content. The executive's keynote session presented a look at how the retailer is using mobile and digital elements to elevate the shopping experience. Build-A-Bear is specifically using mobile to target its core group of girls aged 8 - 10 years old, who are increasingly becoming more tech-savvy.

Around the globe today there is no shortage of clever SMS ideas translating to smart business. Look no further than India for evidence of the power of SMS in mass transportation. Train passengers will soon be able to use their mobile phones to book tickets through a simple text-messaging-based facility or a menu-based dialing service.

A mobile commerce services provider announced that KupiKupon, a provider of daily deals in Eastern Europe and a rival of Groupon Russia, partnered Celltick to publish intelligently targeted mobile coupons to millions of consumers across Russia and Ukraine. KupiKupon will have its mobile coupons published through Celltick's distribution and publisher partnerships by using Celltick's Real Time Coupon Server. Celltick's patented technology will allow KupiKupon to aim deals and offers for physical goods and services at consumers based on the location and demographics of each mobile handset user.

German-based Otto Group plans to upgrade its mobile commerce capability and launch more niche e-commerce sites in core categories such as apparel and home and furnishings. Otto also plans to expand further in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia, where Otto began developing a direct marketing base about seven years ago. Going forward, mobile commerce also will be a big driver of more web traffic and sales for Otto.

Sephora is letting consumers collect their favorite products, organize them in one place and keep track of online and in-store purchases through its new My Beauty Bag initiative. My Beauty Bag lets consumers keep track of their most love and purchased products at their fingertips, whether they want to access it online, in-store or via their mobile device.

Mobile commerce is growing quickly in Japan. Consumers in many of the country's largest cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka, are beginning to favor shopping on their mobile devices. These consumers had already been heavily exposed to e-commerce and the world of online shopping, making the transition to mobile commerce significantly easier. According to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, mobile commerce grew by 16.2% in 2011 and continues to grow as more consumers become comfortable with the notion of purchasing products with their smartphones and tablets.