The time at which people spend their money online is almost as important as where they spend it, since retailers need to target consumers will compelling offers at times when they are most likely to part with their cash.

The latest figures from Bigcommerce reveal that there is actually a difference between when people shop from their desktop computers in the highest concentrations and when they, instead, turn to their mobile devices to fulfil their e-commerce needs. Last year, for example, November 28th was the biggest day for m-commerce activity, while desktop e-commerce peaked on December 1st.

Even though desktop sales still outdo those made from mobile devices, analysts found that close to a third of all purchases made from independent retailers offering safe shopping online in the final three months of 2014, originated from portable handsets and tablets.

The closest the gap between desktop and mobile came to closing was in the third quarter of the year, when the start of September saw spending on each platform come close to converging. The begging of the school year around this time accounts for a spike in online shopping, as expected.

Overall, it was consumer electronics that managed to rise most significantly last year, with individual retailers selling an average of 41 per cent more in the way of devices and gadgets than in the previous year.

The period between Black Friday and Cyber Monday was another big period for growth, with sales up by almost a quarter across all online outlets. Revenues were even higher for retailers, indicating that even with lower prices offered online, the popularity of e-commerce is allowing companies to generate more cash from the sales that they make.

Whether mobile will overtake desktop in the long term seems like an inevitability, but consumer habits seem destined to keep spending spikes apart across these platforms.