Mobile payments are likely to gain momentum with the inevitable expansion of Apple Pay. Though Apple has not yet brought its newmobile payments service to markets outside of the United States, the early success of the service makes it likely that expansion is in the future. Europe is one of the most attractive mobile markets in the world, with high smartphone penetration and an expansive mobile Internet infrastructure. Consumers in many European countries are using their devices to purchase products. In preparation for Apple Pay’s potential expansion to Europe, many companies are beginning to improve their own mobile services. A new …

UK consumer retail spend on mobiles and tablets is forecast to hit £53.6bn a year by 2024, according to research from Barclays, but only 3% of retailers said they are at the cutting edge of being mobile-ready and 70% said they did not have a mobile-enabled websites or apps in place. Barclays’ research also looked at the indirect influence of smart technology on consumer spending habits, finding that by 2024, 42% of all retail sales will involve a mobile device at some point in the purchase decision process, whether it be checking prices or reserving items for collection. Consumers currently spend …

Mobile commerce is finding success in the Philippines. Euromonitor International, a business intelligence company, suggests that this is because of the growing smartphone penetration in the country. The Philippines is one of the countries in the Asian market that is leading the charge in mobile commerce adoption. This has to do with the growing number of young, tech-savvy consumers that are relying heavily on their mobile devices in their daily lives. According to Euromonitor International, a digitally-connected population is leading to a major rise in both the Philippines and Thailand. Together, these markets are expected to see their mobile commerce sectors reach $9 million …

The chief exec and co-founder of Atom Bank, Mark Mullen, has revealed that the financial institution is looking into a future of banking that uses wearable technology, even though there are worries with regards to the resistance that consumers might have toward it. Mullen explained that “I think wearable technology has a long-term future in creating an ecosystem of connective technology held together by the cloud.” Apple has already opened up its own Watch for pre-sale and it will be available for purchase later this month. This is expected by many to be the start of the launch of smartwatches into …

Mobile payments is gaining momentum with the whole world adapting to new payment technologies. A study conducted by Adyen, an Amsterdam based payment company, during the end of 2014, suggests that Europe remained one of the leading regions for mobile payments adoption with 24 percent of all mobile payments, followed by Asia with 17 percent during that period. Among the European countries, the UK topped the charts with 41 percent, followed by countries like Netherlands and Spain with 26 percent, and France and Germany with 18 percent and 16 percent respectively. This trend shows that the UK leads the pack …

Chinese jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook leveraged a combination of beacon-supported location and proximity marketing with the WeChat mobile text and voice messaging communication service to generate sales of more than $16 million, pointing to the potential for retailers and brands to accurately communicate with customers in the physical space through their phones. The jewelry brand worked with beacon-provider Sensoro to deploy the low-energy, low-cost transmitters in 237 Chow Tai Fook stores in four cities in China through Tencent’s WeChat. The campaign, which distributed e-coupons to users who had activated a “shake” feature on phones in stores that had installed beacons, highlights the …

Golf’s PGA Tour is launching a mobile rewards program that lets fans earn points by checking into a tour event, sharing content, selecting favorite players, viewing scorecards or signing up for fantasy golf tournaments that can be redeemed for gift cards to major retailers or a charity donation. Fans can benefit from the SessionM-developed program simply by using a mobile device at home during a tournament or participating in a fantasy tournament. The move points to the advantages of reaching consumers on mobile via an omnichannel program.

As smartphone sales continue their journey north surging by 51% every three months, the mobile commerce (m-comm) market may grow by 55% from its present size of $2 billion to $19 billion by 2019, a study said. According to a study released by market research firm, Zinnov, "right from user research to product anytime and anywhere, smartphones are an emerging point of purchase and to address the demand from upcountry markets and changing consumer shopping pattern, e-commerce companies are increasing their focus on mobile commerce". The survey found over 91% of the consumers had researched a product or service on their phone …

Uber is continuing to build its presence in the mobile marketplace by allowing consumers to order rides to businesses in their area from the YP local search mobile application, meeting accelerated demand for integration of mobile functionality and service. Uber’s first integration with a local search site shortens the time between searching for a local business such as a hardware store or a movie theater and getting there to make a purchase. The partnership points to the power of mobile to generate more in-store traffic for local merchants by bridging the gap between online research and in-store commerce.

U.S.-based Govberg Jewelers is helping watch enthusiasts better manage their collections by releasing a new mobile application that will aid in maintaining, servicing and storing information about their timepieces. Govberg OnTime is designed to be the ultimate companion for horologists, providing them with the latest news, extensive information about their own collection, and concierges to assist them in making transactions. By creating a unique app that consumers can use to manage a large connection, Govberg is providing an essential resource to the most elite consumers in the industry.