M-commerce was set to be the next online channel through which ecommerce outlets could attract more attention for their retail merchandising. Yet, new research shows the channel may still be lagging.

Research released by Shoppercentric reveals that despite efforts to improve multichannel store operations, few shoppers are turning to mobile devices to accomplish their shopping needs, suggesting some retailers may need to revisit the drawing board when it comes to synthesizing purchasing avenues.

The study found that in the past month, only 13 percent of consumers have made a purchase via their smartphones and only 7 percent have done so on a tablet. Furthermore, the study suggests that this could be a result of consumers feeling that the channel lacks security – only 29 percent said they felt secure shopping on a mobile device.

"They are feeling pretty comfortable with online now, as they know when they pay for things they will get security questions coming through," Danielle Pinnington, managing director at Shoppercentric, told PCWorld. "But they are not seeing this level of security when shopping on smartphones using mobile applications."