As more consumers use smartphones for everything from price comparison to shopping, sales via mobile account for more than 10 per cent of purchases on eBay UK. The UK continues to lead the way for m-commerce, with more people in the UK buying and selling goods via mobile on eBay than in any other European country.

An Ofcom report published last month found that over a quarter of adults and almost half of all teenagers now own a smartphone, with 59 per cent having acquired theirs in the last year. It found that the vast majority of smartphone users (81 per cent) have their mobile switched on all the time and people confessed to using their smartphones everywhere from the dining table to the bathroom and bedroom.

On eBay UK an item is sold via eBay’s mobile platforms on average every second. In August 2011 alone, over two million items were bought through mobile, with nearly double the amount of men shopping on their mobiles than women.

The most expensive item on bought on eBay mobile platforms in July 2011 was a Ferrari F430 Spider F1, which sold for over £70,000. Last month, the most expensive item bought was a black Bentley Continental GTC Auto, which sold for over £50,000. And a house in the South of France was also in the top ten most expensive items bought in July.

Angus McCarey, Retail Director for eBay UK said: “While it took years for internet shopping to become mainstream, we believe mobile commerce will do it in less than half the time. Indeed, if sales on our UK site are anything to go by, we have never before seen such significant year over year growth – currently at triple digits.”

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