Nearly one third (30 per cent) of online shopping in China this year was conducted via mobile devices, according to iResearch. And that figure will hit 53 per cent by 2016, said the same research firm.

Mobile shopping is clearly on an upward trajectory because the leading online shopping players are putting greater effort into the activity. The report lists Alibaba, JD, Suning, Vip, Jumei, Dangdang and Amazon as the main actors.

And specialist mobile-only firms such as Mmb are growing in what the research classifies as third to sixth-tier cities.

Mobile’s share of total online shopping doubled this year from 2013 when it was 14.5 per cent. In 2015, the figure is forecast to hit 43 per cent.

Mobile and online shopping is measured by gross merchandise volume, or GMV, which indicates total sales value for merchandise sold through a marketplace over a certain timeframe.