Smartphones are increasingly being used to kick start sessions of safe shopping online, with British consumers being singled out in a new Criteo report as being the most mobile-conscious group on the planet, according to Internet Retailing.

Study spokesperson, Elie Kanaan, said that mobiles were well on the way to overtaking desktop computers as being the go-do platform for online purchases. He also warned that brands which failed to catch onto this trend would lose out to better prepared competitors.

Mobiles should be seen as the main channel through which an increase in sales made by safe shopping online can be achieved, analysts argue. And it is no longer enough for retailers to offer a strong presence on the web via an e-commerce site; they must also embrace mobile apps and ensure that the user experience is consistent and seamless across both platforms.

The reason that mobile is making such an impact even at a time when online sales are growing across the board is that the rate of growth in the m-commerce market far outstrips that of desktop sales.

The UK joins Japan and South Korea in being among the most mobile-centric markets for e-commerce in the world, not only in terms of visitor numbers but also conversions.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the countries in which mobile sales are highest are also home to the greatest proportion of mobile optimised e-commerce sites. Retailers that want to keep customers happy are advised to follow this path and embrace mobile friendliness in all its forms.

In 2016 smartphones have managed to outdo tablet computers in terms of sales and conversions, showing that the age of the iPad is over and people are more likely to rely on a single handheld device for all their communications and shopping needs.