Mobile shopping in China continued to grow at a rapid pace in Q3 and accounted for 72 per cent of the country’s online shopping, up from 57 per cent a year ago.

According to data from iResearch, the gross merchandise value (GMV) of the country’s mobile shopping jumped 56 per cent (see chart below, click to enlarge) year-on-year in Q3 to CNY820 billion ($119 billion).
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E-comerce giant Alibaba maintained its position as China’s top mobile shopping market in Q3 with an 83 per cent share, down 1 point from Q3 2015. Second placed JD.com saw its market share increase to 7.6 per cent from 5.7 per cent a year ago.

The research firm expects the mobile shopping market to keep growing rapidly in the near future as the diversity of mobile shopping modes increases and retailers offer multi-screen options. The shift from PC to mobile shopping is also being driven by greater availability of Wi-Fi hotspots and higher smartphone penetration.

iResearch found many online shoppers in China first view shopping websites on PCs before placing orders using smartphone apps. The company explained the big screen of a PC makes it easier to browse products, while the various payment channels on apps make mobile shopping more convenient.