Who Needs a PC When You Can Shop By Phone or Tablet?

A rapidly growing number of Americans are opting to do their online shopping on their phone or tablet, bypassing their desktops and laptops altogether.

In fact, 13 percent of Internet users accessing retail apps and websites in the United States do so solely through mobile devices, Internet Retailer reports.

IR offered this look at the portion of mobile-only digital shoppers at some top U.S. retailers:

• Amazon. 38 percent of digital shoppers are mobile only customers.
• eBay. 44 percent.
• Wal-Mart. 51 percent.
• Apple. 59 percent.
• Netflix. 29 percent.
• Target. 53 percent.
• Best Buy. 46 percent.
• Ticketmaster. 59 percent.
• QVC. 53 percent.
• Kohl’s. 48 percent.

Andrew Lipsman, vice president of marketing and insights at comScore, told IR that while mobile-only shoppers can make up a large portion of an individual retailer’s customer base, they represent a smaller segment of the overall digital shopping crowd.

“Most consumers use both desktop and mobile for commerce — which channel they use depends on time, location, occasion and retailer,” Lipsman says. “But because mobile often is the only channel by which a shopper might engage with a retailer, it is of critical importance that mobile apps and mobile sites be optimized for conversion.”

So, what kind of purchases are Americans making on their mobile devices? According to eWeek, everyday items are big with mobile shoppers in the U.S.

“U.S. shoppers cite that one of the biggest barriers to shopping with their phone is screen size. But when you are buying everyday essentials, what that item is, or looks like, is a known factor – for example, a can of soup,” Melissa O’Malley, director of global merchant and trade initiatives at PayPal, told eWeek. “So it makes sense that when U.S. shoppers buy with their phone, they shop … for items that are easy to purchase, that don’t require more detailed information or zoomed-in photos.”

Although I do a large percentage of my shopping online, I don’t typically shop on a mobile device. More often than not, I shop from my laptop.

How much mobile shopping do you do? Are you surprised to see the mobile-only percentage of some retailers’ online shoppers? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.