Mobile commerce has skyrocketed by 448 percent in Australia since December 2010, according to the latest findings by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Mobile commerce has been defined as when the mobile phone is used for banking, to pay bills, or to purchase goods and services online. The ACMA research showed there were 3.4 million Australians that used a mobile commerce service in December 2013, up from the 0.62 million that was recorded in December 2010.

Amazon has released information concerning its new smartphone, called Fire Phone, and this new device may have Samsung and LG Electronics worried. The Fire Phone is equipped with a wide variety of features that have come to be expected in the mobile space, but it is also designed with online shopping in mind, unlike its counterparts. Because Amazon holds a commanding position in the e-commerce sector, the Fire Phone is well positioned to become a very popular mobile shopping tool among consumers. Both Samsung and LG have been quite candid in their belief that the Fire Phone does represent some …

Telco-owned UK mobile commerce joint venture Weve has lost chief executive officer David Sear, who has quit for a new job. In a statement, Weve says that Sear will leave "in due course" but will continue to lead the firm until a replacement is in place. "We have no further details to share at this stage and will be making details of our new CEO public in due course," says Weve. After stints at Travelex and VocaLink, Sear joined Weve early last year, taking over from Nancy Cruickshank, who led the venture through its successful clearance by the EC.

Domino's Pizza is partnering with Quikly for a time-sensitive pizza giveaway that triggers fast digital orders and bolsters the company's reputation in the mobile-ordering realm. The pizza chain, based in Ann Arbor Charter Township, MI, is teaming up with the Detroit-based marketing firm to offer free pizza for a year to mobile consumers who register and participate in a giveaway, the time of which will not be announced until the last minute. The offer is the latest example of how Domino's promotes mobile as an extension of the company's digital ordering options and how pizza chains have quickly adopted apps.

Starbucks is beginning to more aggressively promote its mobile payments application. The app can already be considered a resounding success for the company, but Starbucks is keen to see its use expand among its customers. The company is beginning to promote the app as the best way to avoid long lines at its local stores, giving customers a way to order and purchase products quickly from their mobile devices while also being rewarded for doing so. Mobile commerce has won favor with consumers because of its convenient nature, but relatively few people are willing to embrace mobile payments fully.

A new publication from Hamburg-based secondary research organization yStats.com, "China B2C E-Commerce Market 2014", reports that China is ranked as the world's top market in B2C E-Commerce potential. The world's most populous country, it is already the second largest B2C E-Commerce market worldwide and the fastest growing. China's potential for further growth of online retail comes from the growing Internet and online shopper penetration, as well as increasing consumption per shopper. Over 300 million people, about half of internet subscribers in China, shopped online in 2013. By 2017, there are expected to be over 500 million online shoppers in China.

Yahoo Taiwan is looking to tap the local e-commerce market, which it believes will be fueled by the increasing adoption of mobile devices and changing consumer behavior. The Internet company said online sales will soon outpace that of traditional retail stores, according to a report by China's Central News Agency (CNA). The Taiwanese e-commerce market is projected to hit NT$1 trillion (US$33.34 billion) by 2015 and account for half of the retail market, estimated to be worth NT$4 trillion (US$133.36 billion) a year, said Jacky Wang, head of Yahoo Taiwan's e-commerce group.

French department store chain Printemps is helping consumers find exactly what they are looking for in-store with a new mobile application. The app uses geolocation to let users pinpoint brands, services and their friends inside the chain's Paris Haussmann flagship. Since consumers are very likely to be on their mobile device while in-store, it makes sense for a retailer to aid their shopping experience with an app. "Printemps wants to help consumers navigate their flagship retail store and are using Bluetooth to enable that indoors navigation," said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

Groupon has reportedly purchased Canadian coupon app SnapSaves. According to the Canadian Press, Groupon completed the purchase June 13, buying the app for an undisclosed sum from Toronto-based daily deals site Buytopia. SnapSaves users can take smartphone photos of their grocery receipts and receive refunds on select products. Groupon has been expanding its smartphone offerings in the past year, including the launch of a mobile app version of its website and a smartphone digital coupon feature called Freebies.

Beauty marketer L'Oreal Paris has released its Makeup Genius, a mobile application that allows consumers to virtually test beauty products. The user can create lists of her favorite products, but is unable to purchase directly through the app. Despite a lack of mobile commerce, L'Oreal's Makeup Genius also offers the latest on beauty trends in the virtual space.