Last week, for the first time in history, more people were using mobile platforms than computers to visit shopping sites. Data from over 100,000 ecommerce stores showed that 50.3% of traffic was coming from mobile platforms (40.3% from mobile phones, 10% from tablets) and only 49.7% from computers.

There has been a lot of talk and waiting, but the results now show that the mobile platform is now the most used way for people to shop online.

The recent rise in mobile traffic, is partly to do with social networks becoming such a major marketing platform for businesses. The research also suggests that the mobile platform and social media are used for more impulse purchases while computers are used for a more considered purchase.

The rise in the mobile shopper brings another trend to our attention that is being called “always-on shopping”.

Midweek, the majority of shopping site traffic tends to be from computers. While at the weekend mobile traffic tends to dominate.

There appears to no longer be major spikes in a certain point in a week where people are doing most of their shopping, people are always shopping.