For mobile commerce to truly take off, the benefits of buying on a mobile device have to outweigh the associated challenges and risks.

Mass merchandiser Target is running mobile commerce-enabled ads to let music fans buy their favorite albums before the upcoming Grammys.

Universal Pictures teamed up with Fandango during Super Bowl XLVI to engage football fans with an interactive TV ad that also promoted Fandango’s popular mobile ticketing applications.

Fueled by large financial institutions, mobile banking grew 63 percent from 2010 to 2011 and reached 22 million new consumers in 2011, according to a study from Javelin Strategy and Research.

The rapid growth of smartphone and tablet penetration in 2011 is being felt by retailers, with shoppers increasingly using mobile devices to hunt for bargains, find product information and purchase items on their shopping lists.

Consumers evaluate brands based on their overall experience, rather than differentiating online from offline.

L’Oreal and Glamour are introducing a new shopping experience within New York taxicabs that lets consumers view how-to videos featuring Yves Saint Laurent and Lancome beauty products and buy them on the spot.

Retailer Urban Outfitters is using traditional print catalogs to drive sales on its mobile sites and applications.

Grocery store chain Winn-Dixie is using QR codes to help customers serve a special Valentine’s Day meal without the need for reservations or to spend a lot of money.

The Girl Scouts may be a 100-year-old organization but it is also firmly planted in the 21st century now that the young saleswomen selling much-loved cookies are accepting payments via their mobile devices.