The holiday shopping this year seems more interesting to watch compared to 2010. Gone are the days when people would stay up for hours standing in a long queue waiting for their turn to purchase a gift. Mobile shopping has freed us all from the madness of late night store openings and crowded electronics departments at Walmart.  The world of mobility is swiftly taking all other spheres by storm—a few clicks and everything is within easy reach.

Auction giant eBay and online payment champion PayPal already sees the “couch commerce” roaring this holiday season, with Thanksgiving being one of the most anticipated of all holidays.  The two leaders are predicting a spike in mobile shopping revenues during this particular day.

Vice president of eBay Mobile,  Steve Yankovich expressed confidence in how mobile shopping will overpower the traditional way of how people purchase presents for their loved ones. He said, “Mobile shopping is mainstream now, and eBay expects this holiday to be the largest mobile shopping season ever. Shoppers are in the driver’s seat, with mobile technology putting the mall right in your pocket. We’re using our mobile and tablet innovations to empower people to shop – and find the best deals – anytime, anywhere, any way they want – from the comfort of their couch or on the go.”

Although mobile shopping takes away the “adventure” of roaming around malls for hours, the practicality that comes with it is a fairly good trade off.  Energy, time and monetary savings are three benefits that consumers can draw from mobile shopping.

A recent study conducted by the Kellogg Center for Global Marketing Practice reveals that more holiday shoppers would go mobile.  The study dug into the depths of consumer behavior and psychology, finding that mobile shoppers are: self-focused and would most likely but things for themselves, store devotees, strong multi-channel buyers, luxury-oriented, social shoppers who would use social media and search engines to browse for potential purchases and heaviest shoppers.

With trends leading consumers to the mobile space, expect that people will not only look for the usual presents, but will also be after virtual gifts such as apps.  A report recommended five apps to purchase for Thanksgiving; these include Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Professional Chef, Thanksgiving Coloring Book, Turkey Plucker and T.G.I. Black Friday.

Not even a sickly economic state could thwart the people from celebrating Thanksgiving Day.  Travel and tech industries are deemed to be the two in-demand marketplaces that are expected to post spikes in revenue compared to the previous year, thanks to social networking and mobility.