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Tech-Savvy Shoppers Control e-Commerce With Smartphones- UPS Study

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Avid online shoppers, who make two or more purchases online in a typical three-month period, are leading a retail revolution.

These consumers are shopping more with their smartphones and demanding a more seamless experience between virtual and physical stores, according to the fifth annual UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper™ study, published on its website.

This is the first time in the study’s five-year history that more than 50 percent (51%) of all purchases made by respondents are made online, up from 48 percent in 2015.

“Consumers are skilled at using technology to their advantage and thrive on gathering information when shopping,” said Teresa Finley, chief marketing officer at UPS. “This year’s UPS study revealed that 45 percent of online shoppers love the thrill of hunting for and finding great deals, and that physical stores continue to play an important role in that experience. The challenge is how to best engage with shoppers to fulfill their desires.”

Evolved Shoppers
The shift from traditional in-store shopping to shopping with multiple channels continues. Seventeen percent of consumers plan to shop less in store, shifting time to their electronic devices.

The use of smartphones is up 10 points (to 77%) over the past two years, and retailers are responding. Online shoppers report a better mobile experience with satisfaction up eight points (to 73%) since last year.

Social media’s influence on purchasing decisions is up nine points (to 34%) in the last year with nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) having made purchases through social media sites.

Shiny New Objects
Some traditional online retailers are experimenting with showrooms without inventory to provide consumers with the opportunity to examine products at a physical location before buying them online.

One in six shoppers say they have visited such retailers. These locations are finding some initial success with millennials, women and urban shoppers.

While marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay are well-established shopping resources, consumers are turning to them earlier to find the best deals. Thirty-five percent of online shoppers now begin their searches at marketplaces.

Reimagining the Store
Cross-channel transactions, which refer to purchases using in-store and at least one online channel, now account for 38 percent of all purchases (up 2 points). Store-only searches and purchases declined by two points (to 20%). Retailers must create seamless experiences that resonate with how their customers want to shop. Providing detailed product information with good photography, professional and peer reviews, and online access to store inventory (58% find it important) are critical.

Online sales drive significant in-store traffic. Half of shoppers who buy online, ship to a physical store. Of these, 46 percent make additional purchases while picking up their items. A majority of shoppers (60%) also prefer to return items to a store, at which time 70 percent of them make additional purchases. Yet only 36 percent of shoppers say they experience helpful associates when returning items to a store.

“Cost, control and convenience are shoppers’ primary drivers,” said Finley. “Shoppers may be buying more online, but they still value the physical store. Providing an exceptional in-store experience can position the retailer to convert more sales and enhance loyalty when customers pick up and return items.”

Online shoppers report they are using their smartphones in-store for a full range of actions. Nearly 30 percent of shoppers look up product reviews (29%), read product details (28%), compare prices (27%), and access coupons for in-store redemption (27%) regularly (often or most of the time). Just 31 percent of shoppers are aware of in-store beacons.  A quarter (26%) of smartphone users are receptive to in-store mobile messaging with Urban shoppers (37%) and millennials (36%) being even more receptive.  However, more than four in ten smartphone users are neutral toward the idea of in-store mobile messaging.

“We know shoppers use their smartphones while in-store, so if retailers can tie together mobile messaging with valuable features in their apps, this can be a winning combination,” said Louis DeJianne, UPS director for retail and consumer products.

The Ready Retailer
Free shipping continues to be the most important factor driving customer satisfaction when checking out online (73%), although consumers are willing to pay a premium for faster delivery. Half of shoppers (50%) would pay for faster shipping for personal reasons, such as birthdays and holidays.

Home delivery is still the preferred location to receive packages, although more consumers are embracing alternate delivery locations. Preference for alternate delivery locations grew nine points (to 35%) in the last two years. More than half of shoppers are interested in an alternate delivery location with extended hours and lower fees.

“These are exciting and challenging times for retailers,” said Finley. “The industry is changing at an incredibly fast rate. Listening closely to what shoppers want and boldly trying new techniques can give retailers a competitive advantage in this very competitive industry. UPS is working with shoppers and retailers to provide a seamless, engaging experience that everyone will enjoy.”

UPS offers technology-driven services that help retailers deliver the experience shoppers are desire, including:

UPS Quantum View Manage® provides manufacturers and retailers with shipment tracking, customs brokerage and inbound-outbound scheduling;

UPS i-parcel™ enables consumers around the world to shop online with U.S. and UK retailers as if they were shopping in their own country;

UPS My Choice® provides convenient delivery options that fit busy lifestyles. More than 25 million consumers worldwide use the service to manage when and where their packages arrive, and reschedule or reroute packages to other locations; and

UPS Access Point™ locations offer secure, convenient delivery through more than 24,000 local retailers, secure lockers, and The UPS Store® locations in North America and Europe


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E-Business

OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

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Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


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Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

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Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


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Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

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National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.

Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.

Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.

She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.

She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.

According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.

“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.

“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.

“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.

Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.

“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.

“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.

The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.

She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.

“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.

Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.

“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.

She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.

According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.

“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.

“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.

The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.

“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.

“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said


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