4G drives surge in Xmas shopping on the go

LONDON, ENGLAND: EE, the UK's most advanced digital communications company, today released its second 4GEE Mobile Living Index, revealing that 4G is set to transform Christmas shopping this year as faster mobile internet speeds allow people to shop for gifts from their mobile devices.

* 39 percent of 4GEE users plan to Christmas shop on a smartphone or tablet this year, up from 15 percent last Christmas.

* Fashion, entertainment, electronics and books are the most popular purchases, with a third of mobile shoppers spending more than £100 a month.

* The daily commute (8.30am and 5.30pm) is the most popular time for shopping on mobile devices.

* Browsing, streaming and social media continue to rise as superfast 4G internet enables people to do more on the move.

Retailers with quality mobile apps and websites optimised for mobile users are set to be the big winners. Christmas shopping on mobile is set to nearly triple, with 39 percent of 4GEE customers saying they will buy their gifts on their smartphone or tablet this year - up from 15 percent on 3G last year.

4GEE users say that fashion, entertainment, electronics and books are their most common mobile purchases, with eBay and Amazon cited as the most popular online shopping destinations.

The 4GEE Mobile Living Index also revealed that 8.30am and 5.30pm are the busiest times for mobile shopping, as people combine their journeys to and from work with some serious retail therapy. Spend is also steadily increasing: of the men that shop on mobile, over one third (35%) say they spent more than £100 in the last month alone and a fifth spent more than £200. 15 percent of women spent more than £200, almost double the figure from July's report.

Pippa Dunn, chief consumer marketing officer at EE, said: "When we look at this year's Christmas shopping figures in the EE Mobile Living Index, the effect of 4G couldn't be clearer.

"People are now buying their Christmas gifts on the move, without having to queue in shops. They are following their favourite team even when they can't be in front of the TV. And they're doing their online banking on their daily commute, while listening to music and searching the web. 4G is enabling people to shop, share and browse with a new level of flexibility and freedom."