Shopping on mobile devices, like telephones and iPads, will grow quickly during 2012, according to an online marketing manager at the e-commerce company, Shopatron (San Luis Obispo, Calif.).

“We have seen rapid growth in mobile [in 2011], with visits to our mobile-optimized client stores approaching double what we saw at the beginning of the year,” said Shopatron’s Greg Squires, citing growth from 6.5 percent to 12.2 percent. “And we expect that number to nearly double again in 2012. With this level of traffic, we recommend that brands pay special attention to their mobile presence and mobile marketing tactics in the coming year.”

A lot of eyes are following the growth of online shopping—especially considering it only accounts for about 8 percent of all retail sales. But that percentage adds up to a hefty amount—about $135 billion, according to Chicago-based Internet Retailer’s estimate cited in the Shopatron whitepaper.

Additionally, retail e-commerce will grow at five times the rate of traditional retail sales, reaching roughly $624 billion by 2020, according to a Goldman Sachs prediction in the whitepaper.

The paper also found retailers aren’t taking it lying down as more manufacturers begin selling direct to consumers online: In 2009, 51 percent of retailers surveyed by Shopatron said they would reduce or cease buying from brands that decide to sell online direct to consumers. In 2011, that number jumped to 64 percent, and it’s likely to climb higher.

Social networking is another way that web and mobile devices will fundamentally change the way people shop, with Shopatron predicting significant growth in the use of Facebook advertising.

“There’s an undeniable shift happening,” said Mark Grondin, Shopatron’s senior vice president of marketing. “Consumers are being conditioned to expect that they can shop anywhere, anytime and any way they like. Not just in stores, but also on their computers, their phones, their tablets, their TVs and soon on their refrigerators. Brands and retailers that don’t accommodate them are going to lose sales and loyalty.”

For more information, download Shopatron’s“10 Ways ‘Online’ Will Change Life for Brands and Retailers in 2012.” It’s available for free at http://tinyurl.com/cxsfk94. [February 2012 PET AGE]