It started like most of my best purchases: in bed.

I was wearing that oversized hoodie that definitely doesn’t belong to me anymore, sipping leftover chamomile tea, and half-scrolling through my phone while pretending not to fall asleep mid-Instagram. And then it happened. A post. A reel. A flash of ocean-blue tiles in some sleepy town in southern Turkey.

I tapped. I tapped again. Within 30 minutes and probably four cookies, I had planned a getaway, paid for it, and even saved nearby halal cafés on Google Maps. All from my phone.

That was the moment I realized this wasn’t just shopping online. This was something else. This was mobile commerce. And I was in it.

My phone has become the store, the assistant and the friend who says yes

It isn’t just about travel. It’s the moisturizer I restock at midnight. The last-minute Eid gift I panic-order in the Woolies parking lot. The hotel I find via Pinterest that somehow also knows my entire skincare routine.

M-commerce is different. It flows with life. It is quiet and intuitive. It knows that I am more likely to buy when everything is clean and fast and maybe a little bit beautiful. It’s not just a channel. It is the default.

And it’s not just me. According to eMarketer, mobile commerce will make up 44.6 percent of total US retail ecommerce sales in 2024. That’s over $542 billion in sales coming directly from mobile. We are not logging in to shop anymore. We are just living. And shopping is part of that.

M-commerce is not a smaller version of ecommerce

It is smarter, more layered, and more in sync with us.

It does things that desktop ecommerce cannot. It sends me push notifications when my favorite sandals go on sale. It autofills my delivery address while I’m walking to class. It uses location to tell me which local pharmacy stocks the sunscreen I forgot to pack. It quietly remembers everything.

The integration with social media is where m-commerce really comes alive. Instagram Checkout lets me store payment details and shop straight from my feed. TikTok Shop serves me an entire halal travel kit via a creator’s morning routine video. According to eMarketer, nearly 70 percent of Gen Z shoppers are willing to purchase directly from TikTok. And honestly, I get it.

Social media is no longer just a discovery space. It is the store.

And yes, it converts because it removes all the friction

I rarely finish purchases on my laptop anymore. The tab gets lost, the moment passes. But mobile? If I like it, it’s mine in under a minute.

This is why m-commerce is often seen as more profitable than ecommerce alone. It doesn’t wait for me to come to it. It meets me in the spaces I already inhabit. According to eMarketer, 80 percent of consumers use their phones while shopping in-store. They scan QR codes, check reviews, compare prices and load digital coupons. Mobile has become the core of the omnichannel experience.

We are seeing physical stores integrate mobile-first features like scan-and-go, AR overlays for product information and digital wayfinding tools that help customers navigate store layouts. This blend of digital and physical is reshaping how we discover, evaluate and buy.

So what now?

If you’re building something, make it mobile-first. Let it be beautiful and fast and smart. Build in real-time updates, flexible payment options and loyalty rewards that feel meaningful. Let the purchase journey be soft and seamless.

And if you’re like me, cuddled up in your favorite hoodie and wondering if you should book another weekend away, just know that mobile commerce has made it easier than ever.

Because maybe it isn’t about impulsive spending. Maybe it’s about agency. My phone gives me the power to choose. And increasingly, I choose to shop in the moments in between. On the couch. In line. Half-asleep but still dreaming.

For more on the trends and data behind this shift, you can explore the full mobile commerce guide on eMarketer.