New figures show desktop e-commerce is still holding its own in the US, with revenue from Q1 2014 growing 12% compared to the same period last year.
Readings from market research group comScore show that $56.1 billion was spent online via desktop computers over the last quarter. This marks the 18th consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth for earnings in this category despite the continued threat from mobile.
Steady progress
Analysts from comScore have described the increase in business as “modest” compared to 2013, although a number of US companies will take a great deal of positivity from the findings.
Indeed, the study shows spend on products related to apparel and accessories, sport and fitness, consumer packaged goods, digital content and subscriptions and home and garden increasing by 13% on desktops.
Overall, desktop accounted for 11.7% of all discretionary spending, but other readings suggest that mobile is starting to gain ground.
Smartphones leading by example
Further analysis from comScore shows that m-commerce generated $7.3 billion for online retailers over Q1 2014, signalling a 23% rise from the same period last year.
Smartphones were found to be driving the most transactions, accounting for 62% of all mobile purchases, with tablets weighing in with the remaining 38%.
Looking to Q2, comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said there was every chance of online revenues increasing yet again.
“As we look ahead to the remainder of 2014, we hope that signs of improved consumer sentiment and a strengthening job market will help further bolster digital commerce,” he commented.
Fulgoni went on to back momentum in e-commerce to continue barring any “unforeseen economic troubles”.