What do Cupid, Abraham Lincoln, and Saint Nick have in common? Other than the fact that they each are icons associated with a major holiday, finding a common thread might be tough -- until now.

The answer is that their holidays have provided a stage to show that a smarter form of commerce is not just taking shape, but is also here to stay: mobile commerce.

I have spent a great deal of time over the last three months dissecting the influence of the empowered consumer. Throughout that time, the conversation has focused primarily on the emergence of the mobile shopper...