Online sales are still growing in the UK -- but sales from desktop computers are not.
Rather, tablets and smartphones are responsible for the 15% increase in online sales UK retailers saw in the first half of the year, according to data from Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) and Capgemini (via eMarketer). Tablets -- which account for most (85%) of mobile sales -- grew 130%, while smartphone sales jumped 210% year-over-year.
According to IMRG and Capgemini's estimates, tablets and smartphones now account for nearly a quarter (23.2%) of total online sales in the UK.
Where the UK goes, the U.S. is likely to follow -- though it will take some time. In the U.S., mobile devices are expected to facilitate a smaller portion (15%) of online sales this year. While sales on tablets and smartphones are growing rapidly -- up 82% between 2012 and 2011 -- they don't yet make up enough of the ecommerce pie to take full responsibility for growth just yet.