Mobile is “the most disruptive force” in retail since the advent of e-commerce, representing 34 per cent of orders and 57 per cent of traffic when compared to computers and tablets, Salesforce revealed in its Q2 2017 Shopping Index.

The report, which looks at the activity of more than 500 million shoppers in countries including the UK, US, France and Germany, found social platforms including Snapchat and Instagram make up 6 per cent of mobile retail traffic, up from 4 per cent.

“Social is fast becoming the face of the brand, an important part of the marketing mix, and the point at which shoppers interact with a brand for the first time,” the company stated.

Jamie Merrick, director of strategic solutions at Salesforce Commerce Cloud, said: “This trend highlights the importance of unified commerce across all channels – whether a customer shops in-store or is scrolling through Instagram and purchases on mobile, the experience should be consistent and easy for the customer.”

What’s more, 59 per cent of consumers reported using their phones while shopping in a store within the last three months.

According to Merrick: “Retailers that have a mobile-first approach are the ones that are winning, especially those that have quick payment options like Apple Pay and Android Pay.”

“The days when we would wait to log onto a laptop or computer to buy a new shirt are far behind us,” he added.

Last week, a report from research company Clutch showed discounts, loyalty rewards, personalisation and augmented reality are some of the features users increasingly want from retail apps.