As Smartphones essentially become smarter and smarter, the market for mobile shopping is really taking off. Mobile commerce applications and mobile websites are changing the way retailers do business and the way consumers shop.

With a rise of retailers users social media, mobile applications, and mobile web, mobile activity is destine to play a role in the 2010 holiday shopping season. In a study conducted by Deloitte, retailers are seeking to deliver tightly integrated and consistent merchandise, inventory, and promotional messages to their customers via mobile web, applications, and social media. There is also expected to be a between web based and physical storefront promotions and sales. Phone applications are tying online and store shopping together in more ways than ever before. 

Consumers use their mobile phones to run price comparison searches and search for the products they want most. In the Deloitte study, conducted earlier this year, 21 percent of smartphone users state they have used their phones to locate stores, find product information, shop, and comparison shop. Shoppers are even insistent that their mobile phones will assist them with their holiday shopping. 

Why mobile shopping? The question is more likely to be: why not mobile shopping. Mobile shopping is convenient. You can shop on your phone regardless of who you are, where you are, and what kind of time you have. Shoppers can beat the holiday crowds anywhere at any time. Shoppers have the opportunity to shop on the bus, while waiting in a doctor's office, between classes, etc. Mobile shopping has the potential to make last minute holiday shopping a thing of the past. 

With rich media, mobile shopping is equivalent to shopping online. Preface Media offers 360 degrees shopping experiences for mobile devices. Any user with an iPhone or smartphone is able to view all items at a full 360 degree view. Users can zoom, pan, and rotate products all with the click of a button on their phone. Technology has made mobile phone shopping easy. Shoppers can purchase products without having to worry about not liking what the actual product looks like. 

Should retailers expect to see a huge sales surge courtesy of the mobile web and applications? The answer is a likely no. New technology is likely to only provide a small increase in sales. Given the current economy, consumers are still watching their funds closely and are remaining focused on increasing their savings and paying off any debt they may have. Consumers are not ready to max out their credit cards again.