Mobile sales at online giant eBay tripled to nearly $2bn in 2010 with the UK the fastest adopter of m-commerce.

Annual sales from mobile increased by $1.4bn (£0.9bn) on 2009’s figures, with the etailer reporting over 30 million downloads of its eBay app in 8 languages over 190 countries. The marketplace said it receives 94 bids per minute through its mobile app.

An item was purchased every two seconds through the eBay buyer app in the UK which, along with Australia, is the fastest-growing mobile market according to the etailer. Fashion, consumer electronics and sporting goods were amongst the most popular items bought via mobile devices in the UK.

eBay Europe vice-president Clare Gilmartin said: “It’s staggering to think that $2bn worth of sales has been generated through a platform that didn’t exist a couple of years ago.  We’re defining the mobile commerce landscape, by offering convenience for consumers.

“We’ve made it easier for people to shop when they want, how they want and where they want. With the number of mobile internet users growing rapidly, the potential for growth is huge.”