December 26th 2014 was a landmark date for m-commerce, since figures published by Affiliate Window show that the number of people shopping online from their smartphones outstripped desktop traffic.

Throughout the month as a whole, an average of 44.37 per cent of all e-commerce traffic originated from mobile devices, but on Boxing Day this pushed above 50 per cent, as people probably sat on their sofas and surfed the web to look for bargains.

Android is still the dominant smartphone operating system, accounting for over a quarter of traffic, while in the tablet market it holds sway over almost 41 per cent of m-commerce activity.

The surge in online shopping that occurred on Boxing Day is well documented, but the rise of m-commerce activity, which for the first time ever was higher than the use of desktop PCs and laptops, shows that there is a real sea change in the way that people shop.

In addition to being an impressive figure, the breaching of the 50 per cent traffic margin achieved by mobile devices on Boxing Day is also an indication of how seasonal shifts and short term events can have a major impact on the retail sector.

The collective actions of consumers can be measured far more accurately in the e-commerce age than ever before and it seems that portable devices are quickly coming to define how and when items are sold.