Study: More than 33 million Americans use mobile phones for mcommerce

With the introduction of mobile phones, especially smartphones, people can connect to the internet like never before. As a result, more U.S. consumers are using their devices for a litany of purposes, and mobile commerce is one of them.

According to a recent study conducted by Experian Simmons, more than 33 million Americans use their mobile phones for shopping-related activities.

"The explosion in usage of mobile technologies is an industry game-changer, and marketers need reliable insights to better understand this rapidly changing landscape," said Ken Wollenberg, general manager of Experian Simmons.

The number of U.S. consumers with a mobile device is also expanding. More than 90 percent of adults own a mobile phone, while 70 percent of teens and 20 percent of children have a device, according to the study.

Of those people with a smartphone, 56 percent access the internet, while 27 percent watch video. For Apple iPhone owners, many would like to use their smartphone for mcommerce activities. According to Experian Simmons, 30 percent of iPhone owners want to make purchases in stores using their device.

As social media continues to grow - Facebook currently has more than 750 million members worldwide - more Americans are accessing their accounts through their mobile phones. According to the study, 20 percent of mobile phone owners use their devices to access their social media accounts.

Furthermore, 16 percent of mobile owners downloaded at least one application in the past month.

"This report will help them devise plans that are timely, relevant and more effective in driving incremental sales and building brand awareness in the mobile space," added Wollenberg.

Despite sky-high expectations for the mobile payments market, Gartner recently released impressive results for both areas. In 2011, the number of mobile payment users worldwide is projected to reach more than 141 million this year, which is an increase of 38.2 percent from last year. Additionally, the global mobile payments market is anticipated to surpass $86 billion, growing by nearly 76 percent from the $48.9 billion spent in 2010.

Although not as high as its previous estimate, Gartner said the "slower" growth for the market is due to several reasons. In developing countries, many companies have not adapted their strategies to the local trade, while developed regions are not fully aware of the complexity behind a near field communications model.