With the variety of applications, features and capabilities of mobile devices these days, it's no surprise that consumers are using smartphones and tablets for various tasks. Whether it's managing their personal finances, keeping up with work-related duties or staying in touch with others, these gadgets have made daily life just a little bit easier for individuals who own them. These devices are quickly making their way into the retail realm as well, and consumers are increasingly using smartphones and tablets for shopping purposes, both in stores and on merchants' websites.

If companies want to ensure they are able to accommodate patrons who prefer using their mobile devices when browsing for and purchasing products, making the move now to implement solutions will give retailers the chance to satisfy existing customers and capture new business. But first, merchants need to understand the role that mobile commerce is playing in the industry and what the average mobile consumer is like.

Devices taking up ecommerce
According to a recent study by comScore, the first quarter of 2013 saw significant growth in terms of U.S. ecommerce. The research revealed that there was a total of $50.2 billion spent online during the first three months of this year, representing a 13 percent increase from the same time in 2012. ComScore also discovered that although desktop and laptop computers made up slightly more than half of those purchases, 48 percent were done from mobile devices, with 34 percent on smartphones and 14 percent on tablets. Analysts anticipate the use of mobile gadgets for web shopping will continue to grow in the coming years.

What is the average mobile shopper like?
So now that retailers know how increasingly important mobile commerce is becoming within their industry, next they need to fully understand what the average mobile consumer is like so they can incorporate solutions that fit customers' needs. Internet Retailer reports that a study by Forrester Research revealed the mobile devices owners are mainly using their gadgets to browse for and compare products, then opting to either purchase merchandise in stores or online.

In addition, Forrester found that when it comes to shopping through their mobile devices, consumers prefer to access companies' websites that are optimized for smaller screens rather than utilize a mobile application.

So what does this mean for retailers? It means they should act now to ensure their web platforms are easy to use on devices and also that they offer point of sale systems that can accept mobile payments, among other forms.