Mobile shopping: More buzz than buy so far

[September 01, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- When it comes to mobile shopping, so far there's more buzz than buy.

As the number of people who use iPhones and other smartphones grows, retailers are touting all the new applications they're rolling out that enable shoppers to do anything from checking a store's inventory while in the dressing room to ordering prescriptions. But so far, consumers are looking up locations and comparing prices, but not tapping the "buy" button.

Mobile commerce is expected to account for $6 billion, or just 2 percent of overall e-commerce sales this year. By 2016, that figure could rise to $31 billion -- still a sliver of electronic sales.

[Associated Press; By ELLEN GIBSON]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.