Consumers in South Korea will spend nearly $15 billion this year on retail purchases via mobile device, eMarketer estimates. That amounts to 37.5% of retail ecommerce sales and 4.2% of total retail sales in the country, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast of retail sales around the world. Mobile commerce is growing far faster than sales on digital as a whole or retail as a whole—26.5% this year, vs. 11.0% growth in retail ecommerce and 1.8% growth in total retail sales. - See more at: http://www.emarketer.com/article.aspx?R=1012821&RewroteTitle=1#sthash.A1xONR7x.dpuf

E-commerce continues to grow in importance to QVC. The TV, web and mobile web retailer says U.S. e-commerce sales totaled $655 million in the second quarter, accounting for 47% of total U.S. revenue for the division of Liberty Interactive Corp. A year earlier, web sales accounted for 43% of U.S. sales, the company says. Of those web sales, 47.6% of orders were placed from mobile devices, up from 37.48% a year earlier. Measured globally, mobile accounted for 49.37% of QVC web orders during the quarter, up from 39.86% a year earlier. While up year over year, mobile as a percentage of …

German automaker Audi is giving football fans the ultimate mobile experience with its new Audi Football application for Android and iOS. The Audi Football App will be released on Aug. 3 and provide users with the opportunity to access a variety of digital services to improve their viewing experience when watching football matches. Creating a fun and informative mobile app will allow Audi to connect with consumers on a regular basis and integrate the brand into their everyday lives.

Quick-service restaurants' enthusiasm for making gamification a part of their mobile loyalty strategies suggests that Web-based games are easier to stomach – unless a brand already boasts the massive affinity needed to justify a standalone application. More QSRs are finding valuable branding opportunities and methods of driving customer engagement on mobile by rolling out easy-to-play games coinciding with new menu items or promotions.

The Wendy’s Company is aiming to pull mobile-savvy consumers away from its fast food competitors by beginning testing of a mobile ordering application in Phoenix and offering users a Frosty incentive. Consumers in Phoenix, Arizona, will be able to download the app to place an order for pick-up at a bricks-and-mortar location, which will be processed via Bluetooth. 

A new mobile ticketing system will soon be launched to make it possible for commuters in Haryana, India, who travel between Palwal and New Delhi to be able to purchase their unreserved tickets by way of cell phones. This mobile ticketing program will be implemented as of August and is a component of a broader strategy to convert unreserved tickets into a paperless system. It is also meant to help to reduce the need to stand in line and purchase those tickets. 

Minyard Sun Fresh Market is tapping a mobile shopper engagement platform to roll out digital weekly circulars, personalized deals, product information and rewards to customers’ smartphones to ramp up the in-store experience. The grocer has teamed up with Blue Calypso to develop the platform and simplify the shopping experience for time-strapped guests at its bricks-and-mortar locations. 

Samsung and MasterCard, which have been working together to bring Samsung Pay to consumers and merchants around the world, announced today that they will extend their partnership to launch the mobile payment system in Europe. Powered by LoopPay, the Apple Pay competitor that Samsung acquired earlier this year, Samsung Pay is supposed to launch in the U.S. soon and began trials in South Korea earlier this month.

Peer-to-peer digital retailer eBay’s decision to discontinue its specialty applications, including eBay Valet, showcases the need for marketers to offer one overarching app if they wish to streamline their mobile offerings. EBay is aiming to simply its shopping experience on mobile and integrate its singular services’ features into the flagship app.

Target has launched a new mobile tool that acts as an interior designer for college-bound shoppers, linking with their social media profiles to provide a personalized and interactive selection of merchandise. The Made For U College Styler takes the form of a well-known social media quiz format, which many young consumers are often seen participating with on various social channels.