The world of apps is hardly shrinking, and lots of money is changing hands. Consumers will download 102 billion apps from mobile app stores this year and spending on and through those apps will hit $26 billion, according to research firm Gartner. The number of apps downloaded will be 60% higher than last year, and money spent will be 47% higher, says Gartner. An interesting point in the research is that in-app purchases will account for almost half (48%) of the app store revenue in four years, up from 11% just last year.

Mobile wallets are starting to become more like wallets. For the longest time, the idea of a mobile wallet was either linked to or somewhat synonymous with mobile payments. In the context of those conversations, NFC (Near Field Communications) tended to be included as part of the payment conversation. Google's latest move in mobile wallets now makes the wallet act more like a wallet without the incessant focus on it as a portable payment mechanism.

The idea of how consumers use mobile devices to find things during the shopping process continues to be somewhat intriguing. One recent study I recently wrote about (Luxury Shoppers 'Find' their Way to the Store) showed that most wealthy consumers are relatively tech savvy but eight to nine out of 10 of their most recent luxury purchases were done in physical store. During that purchase cycle, however, mobile can play a significant role as the consumer winds their way through the Mobile Shopping Life Cycle.

B2B commerce is going mobile. For as long as I can recall, I've been hearing from numerous businesses that mobile wouldn't impact them since they were primarily B2B companies. This always struck me as making no sense, since mobile behavior couldn't be expected to affect only consumer behavior. People operating in a B2B environment don't live in a vacuum. They also are individual consumers, and what they see and experience in the B2C world should be expected to influence what they would come to expect in B2B. Now comes along some international research that highlights the B2B move to mobile …

Mobile payments are entering the realm of more buying with less activity. A number of indicators point to the idea of letting mobile consumers pay with as little effort as possible. For example, PayPal this week announced its PayPal Beacon, which will allow consumers to automatically check in at stores. Rather than using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, PayPal is using Bluetooth for transmission of information. Consumers then can pay hands free.

While upscale shoppers end up in the store when buying luxury goods, mobile interactions along the way can influence the outcome. As might be expected, wealthier consumers are relatively tech-savvy. However, a recent study shows that when it comes to luxury purchases, eight to nine out of 10 of their most recent luxury purchases were done in a physical store. The study, conducted by Ipsos for Google, aimed at looking how wealthy shoppers around the world research and buy luxury items. While almost all buyers are online, they use multiple devices to stay connected. Most of them also go online …

It's still to be determined what will drive mobile commerce to the masses. This is not to say many people are not using their phones and tablets to shop, they clearly are. A recent study about mobile banking reminded me of this, finding that nearly half of all online banking already is being done on a smartphone or tablet. In the banking and finance category, more than half of mobile consumers also rely on mobile exclusively to aid in purchase decisions, according to the xAd and Telmetrics Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study.

As location and technical capabilities advance, it's becoming easier to identify and reach consumers via their mobile devices as they shop. Most mobile marketers have been diligent in following opt-in rules to make sure the consumer agrees in advance to receive certain messages. Some people will want to receive such messaging and others won't, for a host of reasons. But location-based knowledge opens the door for marketers to have yet a new set of conversations, perhaps extremely relevant and helpful information closer to the product purchase decision.

We know from many studies that mobile shoppers can be swayed by a deal. Many of these mobile deals come in the form of digital coupons, though most people tend not yet to use them. And based on much of the reader reaction to a piece I wrote last week about a snapshot study chiding the effectiveness of printed circulars, I'm guessing there may be some who don't lean in the mobile coupon direction. Since then, a new survey has been completed showing that while mobile coupons don't dominate the deal landscape, they are clearly on the ris

It looks like mobile commerce is beginning to get a little respect. A new study projects that retail mobile commerce sales this year will reach $42 billion and more than $100 billion within four years. It's encouraging to finally see a study that looks at mobile commerce more holistically. Many mobile studies measure only the transaction part of shopping, which generally show the balance leaning to purchases by tablets. This study, by eMarketer, looks at mobile devices contributing to overall commerce growth in two ways.