1 in 7 smartphone users tried mobile shopping

By Kang Seung-woo

With the number of smartphone users reaching 20 million, more and more people are going shopping on their handsets, a survey showed Tuesday.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) conducted a poll of 1,000 smartphone users on whether they had bought any goods and services using their handsets ― 13.9 percent of respondents said yes.

The survey also revealed that 76.3 percent of those who had purchased something using their smartphone will continue to take advantage of mobile commerce and nearly half of those who are new to it intend to in the future.

Mobile shopping is a transaction to conduct commerce using various applications installed on mobile devices, mainly smartphones.

The KCCI attributes the growth in mobile shopping to the broad expansion of users.

“Recently, more and more people use smartphones and additionally, the markdown of data fees has helped people to easily steer towards mobile shopping,” said the nation's largest business lobby group.

According to the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), the number of smartphone users reached 20 million on Friday since its fanfare debut in November 2009.

The figure accounts for about 40 percent of the nation’s population and around 80 percent of the economically active population.

Thanks to the explosive adaption of smartphones, mobile commerce is expected to reach 100 billion won this year, up from a previously estimated 40 billion won, according to the Korea Online Shopping Association (KOLSA). The combined transactions of online shopping malls 11st and CJ O Shopping surpassed 40 billion won as of the end of the third quarter.

In addition, TV home shopping channels are stretching to reach the mobile sector, as Hyundai Home Shopping, GS Home Shopping and Lotte Home Shopping have launched applications to attract smartphone users.

The survey showed that the younger the consumers are, the more they are likely to use mobile commerce.

Those who are in their 20s and 30s made up 15.6 percent and 15.4 percent of the toal, respectively, but 40-something people marked 11.8 percent while those over 50, 9.6 percent.

The most popular item purchased through mobile commerce was tickets for a movie or performance, followed by garments and books, the survey said.

In order to further activate mobile shopping, the polled smartphone users said that security infrastructure and electronic payment system should be strengthened and made more extensive, while suggesting various shopping applications as well as goods and services.