UK consumers spending £581m a year on apps

UK smartphone users are collectively spending £581m a year on mobile apps.

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About one in five UK smartphone users bought items through their phone last year, with an average spend of £33.46 per person, according to research carried out by polling firm OnePoll on behalf of digital marketing specialist The Bio Agency. The survey of 3,000 UK consumers also revealed that 78% cited convenience as the top reason for engaging in mobile commerce.

Groceries was the most popular sector, with an average mobile spend of £75.69 a month, followed by travel tickets at £56.26 a month.

Tesco recently revealed it will streamline its suite of mobile apps to just three and will focus on developing tablet apps this year.

Nick Lansley, head of research and development at Tesco.com, says/ “The iPad is a nice example of the fourth screen. This is where we’re going, especially as tablets get cheaper.”