U.S. mobile Internet users will reach more than 70 million this year, and more and more retailers have launched mobile commerce programs. However, mobile commerce still has a long way to go, according to eMarketer.

Web-enabled mobile users tend to use their devices to gather weather information, read news, find movie times and do online banking, rather than to make purchases.

"A number of retailers and third-party developers have introduced mobile apps that give consumers powerful new shopping tools and added convenience," according to eMarketer senior analyst Jeffrey Grau, who is also the author of the new report, "Mobile Commerce: Ahead of Its Time." "But most retailers are either standing on the sidelines or in the midst of planning their mobile commerce strategy."

Capital constraints and privacy and security issues are the biggest obstacles for m-commerce developments, according to an April 2009 survey by RIS News.

"A major obstacle not addressed directly by the RIS survey is the lack of standardisation among smartphone browsers and operating systems. Mobile app developers need to carefully pick and choose where they think they can get the best return for their effort," added Mr. Grau.

However, there are still some items consumers are more willing to buy via mobile. These include products which appeal to on-the-go consumers and involve smaller amounts of money, such as pizza and movie tickets, according to Billing Revolution.

Another survey conducted by PriceGrabber.com in March 2009 pointed out that some early m-commerce adopters have also employed their devices to buy higher-consideration goods, including consumer electronics, apparel and jewelry.

As mobile shoppers are valuable customers, retailers should not ignore this channel. They are a highly coveted consumer segment, according to eMarketer.