How vital is mobile commerce becoming? Worldwide, mobile commerce is set to hit $119 billion by 2015. The projected amount of retail purchases made online by 2014 is 54%.

To better grasp mobile's incredible growth and its implications, Big Commerce, an e-commerce software software company, recently studied analyst and trend-watching data from various sources, then created the infographic below. 

Highlights about today's mobile shopper:

• About 1 in 5 smartphone users in America scanned a QR code in-store last year.
• Worldwide, nearly 1 in 3 phones sold in 2011 was a smartphone.
• 42% of all US mobile subscribers have smartphones; 51% of all UK subscribers have smartphones; and 44% of EU5 subscribers do.
• Smartphone users spend more time on mobile apps than on mobile sites.
• One out of five people research products on mobile devices while watching TV.
• 53% of mobile consumers engage in showrooming—looking at products in-store then buying online.
• Men prefer to make purchases on their phones; women prefer tablets for shopping.

The research also offers insight into where mobile and e-commerce are heading:

• User industry specialists predict that 50% of smartphone users will buy primarily via mobile wallets.
• Nearly 1 in 2 Americans are interested in mobile wallets are forms of payment.
• Worldwide, mobile commerce is set to hit $119 billion by 2015.
• The projected amount of retail purchases made online by 2014 is 54%.