To maximize their success, e-commerce businesses need to incorporate mobile into their buyer journey.

Apps for shopping are convenient and offer convenience.

According to Synchrony, the average smartphone has 4 shopping apps. This is a result of a double-digit increase in the number of apps. Nearly 7 out of 10 smartphone owners use at least one shopping app.

Our research shows that most consumers use shopping apps at their homes only a few times per week. The majority of consumers use online and mass merchant apps.

This report can be used by businesses to improve their e-commerce mobile app experience and to retain customers.

Our findings

• Mass merchant app apps (81%) are the most popular ecommerce apps. These include companies like Target, Walmart, and Costco.

• The top five most downloaded shopping apps are pure online retailers apps (77%), like Amazon and Overstock, food & beverage apps (61%), apparel apps (35%), convenience store apps (33%), and apps for ordering from Amazon and Overstock (55%).

• People prefer shopping apps to be used at home (79%) rather than in stores or on the move (79%)

• Over 9 out of 10, people use online retailer apps, and 81% use mass retail apps primarily from home.

• Only food and beverage apps are more popular in the store than at home (67%)

• 54% of those who use shopping apps more often than once per month use them weekly and 28% daily.

Consumers Love Shopping Apps from Pure Online Retailers and Mass Markets

The majority of in-app purchases are made by larger retailers.

Mass market retailer apps are the most popular shopping apps (81%), followed closely by pure online retailer apps (77%), apps for food and beverages (61%), and apparel apps (35%).

Mass market retailers sell products at low prices and appeal to many consumers. Mass market retailers include large-box stores such as Target, Best Buy, and Sam’s Club as well as well-known clothing brands like Gap.

Target and Walmart were among the mass-market retailers that capitalized on this mobile app shopping trend. These top-ranked retailers are now being rewarded with large traffic volumes.

Walmart was the second-most popular mobile shopping app in 2018, with more than 80 million monthly users. The original launch of its mobile app was in 2011, just three years after Apple’s App Store debut.

Many online retailers like Amazon and eBay made the transition to mobile shopping apps naturally, having started on the internet.

Two elements are common for large online retailers and mass marketer sellers to attract customers:

• User experience (UX), that is simple and intuitive
• Reputation for your brand

Small businesses can follow the lead of larger companies and create better mobile shopping apps by improving their UX, trusting customers, and creating a more user-friendly interface.

Large Retailers Offer Omnichannel Brand Experiences

Both online and mass-market app developers succeed in creating memorable user experiences.

These retail giants offer more than many small brands and can offer the best deals, the most sophisticated features, and all in a seamless omnichannel brand experience that customers now expect.

Consider Amazon and its 140 million mobile users. The app replicates a large portion of Amazon’s website UX. This ranks highest among most generations of users due to its unparalleled navigation, convenience, and value.

The Amazon app offers the same seamless and personalized UX as the Amazon site. The app and website can be combined to allow consumers to shop on both a smartphone and a computer.

Apps for larger companies benefit from a built-up brand reputation

Walmart and other shopping app leaders like it have built-in brand trust.

Cindy Liu is a forecast analyst for the B2B blog eMarketer. She stated that trustworthiness is crucial to acquiring and retaining users. This is particularly true for older users, who might be unsure about online shopping or are hesitant to buy something online.

Liu stated that while smartphones are great for browsing and researching products, not all customers feel comfortable buying a product.

In-app features like These are often used by large retailers to build customers’ trust.

• Price-match and low-price guarantees
• In-app comparisons
• Returns are free
• Returns processed quickly
• Credit card data protection

These features reduce friction in mobile purchasing, encourage app usage, and increase app sales. People feel more secure, satisfied, and confident as a result.

Because of their convenience and trustworthiness, consumers love mobile shopping apps from mass merchants and online retailers. Small businesses need to offer the same features, protections, and benefits that they have come to expect from Amazon and Walmart for them to be secure.

E-Commerce Mobile Apps Most Commonly Used At Home

People tend to shop online at home more often than they do in-store.

These apps are the most popular in-home.

• Pure online retailer apps (92%)
• Mass merchant retailer apps (81%)
• Apparel apps (79%)
• Convenience store apps (62%).

Only 67% of food and beverage apps are sold in stores.

According to the Harvard Business Review, 68% of smartphone usage by consumers is done in the home. 

People can shop online and create and complete shopping orders at home. They can also explore in-app menu options and browse items that will enhance their lives without having to go to the store.

It is also possible to purchase online from home due to the proximity of laptop and desktop devices. According to Monetate, smartphone users prefer to make their online purchases on a non-mobile device. Mobile UX is limited by:

• Smaller screen sizes
• Mobile responsiveness issues
• Concerns about mobile data security

Criteo, an advertising company, found that mobile apps are driving the majority of retailers’ sales. On average, 66% of online sales are now made by retailers who have both mobile and app-based websites.

This means that only brands with a mobile UX that is effective and rewarding will be able to take advantage of the shift to mobile app shopping.

Understanding Mobile App vs. Mobile Web Shopping Experiences

Businesses can improve their mobile UX by comparing the experience of mobile app users to mobile web users.

A mobile app can convince consumers to make purchases even though they may be skeptical about using their mobile web browser.

Criteo’s study found that conversion rates in mobile retail apps were three times higher than those on mobile web browsers.

Consumers can signal more trust by downloading shopping apps and giving them space on their phones. This could increase the likelihood that consumers will purchase the app.

Mobile web searches can offer some benefits to shoppers.

Web searches are more effective than browsing through a multitude of shopping apps to find a new or undefined product. According to Google, buyers prefer mobile web searches over mobile apps for performing research and comparing product features.

Businesses should optimize their mobile app UX to attract customers, but they should keep their mobile web UX simple for comparison shopping.

People use e-commerce apps at their homes because they are convenient and can be used in place of a trip to the shop.

Shopping apps are most often used 2-5 times per week

If they are convenient, consumers use e-commerce mobile applications frequently.

35 percent of those surveyed use shopping apps at least once per month. They tend to interact with these apps between 2-5 times per week. Other people use shopping apps at least once per week (19%), twice per month (18%), and multiple times per day (16%).

Apps that help consumers save money or accomplish tasks more efficiently will be more popular.

How can businesses increase ecommerce mobile app usage? Businesses should concentrate on building and optimizing app features to meet users’ needs.

According to a survey by Clutch, shoppers are most interested in features such as in-app purchases and discounts.

App development companies can help businesses create features that solve friction points for customers to encourage engagement. Ask yourself: “Are your customers looking for coupons, to browse your inventory, or to earn rewards?”

Your app can solve friction points in many ways.

• Personalization of the app to reflect the user’s name and preferences in payment

• Recommend products similar to the ones you have already bought

• To simplify purchasing, you can add a digital wallet function.

• There are many delivery options available, including in-home and car-side delivery

• Integration of a multi-tier loyalty program that rewards repeat purchases and app use

Customers will be loyal to companies that customize the app experience to their customers’ needs.

How food and beverage, convenience store, and apparel shopping apps engage customers

The way consumers use clothing, food, and beverage apps is different from apps that are only available to retailers and mass merchants.

Apps for convenience stores, food, beverage, and mass merchant apps are more popular than those that can be used at home.

What can these e-commerce apps do to attract customers?

Food and Beverage apps offer convenience and perks

The retailer’s store is the most popular place to buy food and drink apps (67%), while on the move (59%), or at home (52%).       

Food and beverage retailers offer incentives to encourage app engagement.

• Loyalty programs
• You can redeem coupons in both the app and in-store
• Flexible and convenient ordering

The Starbucks mobile app, for example, is the platform for digital wallets and loyalty programs. To unlock better rewards, new users can climb the tiers within the app.

Starbucks app users can earn points to pay for future purchases.

• Order ahead to save time
• Their digital wallet makes it easier to pay faster
• You can hear the music in the store
• Receive special discounts
• Other Starbucks locations are available nearby

Starbucks’ app features enhance customer loyalty, drive mobile app usage, and increase in-store experience. These mobile tie-ins offer a fresh in-store experience that meets all engagement criteria, including convenience, value, and flexibility.

Mobile Convenience Store Apps Offer Fast Savings

Convenience store apps can be used most frequently at home (62%), at the retailer’s shop (60%), or on the move (54%). Convenience store apps help users locate locations quickly and check prices rapidly. They also offer coupons that can be used to get repeat sales.

Walgreens, for example, uses its app to meet the needs of customers who use its pharmacy. The app allows for a simple refill, pickup, or checkout process for prescriptions.

The Pill Reminder function and loyalty rewards based on healthy purchases are also available to users. Users can also auto-login to a simplified menu.

Convenience store apps should provide convenience and ease for shoppers regardless of their location.

Mobile Apparel Apps Allow Comparisons and Later Purchases

Apps for retail apparel are used to validate and inform future purchases. This includes checking price, discount, availability, or item availability. Apparel apps are often used at home but can also be used in the store (55%), and on the move (57%).

Shoppers often use an app to help them shop in the store. According to Salsify, retail shoppers are twice as likely to consult their phones than their in-store sales associates.

“Consumers are turning to their smartphones to answer product-related queries like price and availability while they shop,” stated Jason Purcell, CEO and co-founder of Salsify. Salsify is a product experience management platform.

Purcell stated that shoppers are increasingly using mobile apps to compare products and services. This shows “just how important it is for every retailer and brand to have a systematic approach to… retain shopper interest and win sales.”

Apparel apps can be used in conjunction with the in-store experience. According to Harvard Business Review, online orders that are made after a visit to a store have 64% more successful than those done online.

App use must be rewarded by apparel retailers, as brick-and-mortar sales remain important. An apparel app could offer the following:

• One-off sale incentives
• Discounts based on your individual needs
• Notifications when the searched-for item has been restocked or is available in a local store

Google says that 66% of users are more inclined to purchase from a brand that is customized to their location-based experience.

Retailers must be able to adapt to individual customer preferences when browsing and buying across different channels. To attract customers to the storefront and drive sales, you can use app tie-ins.

Businesses must adopt an Omnichannel approach to shopping apps

Mobile apps should be developed by businesses to offer the convenience and benefits that customers desire. However, it should not force them to change their behavior. Customers can browse and purchase on any channel, so it is easy for them to do this.

To provide the convenience and value that shoppers desire, you can combine your mobile app, mobile website, and in-store presence. People are more inclined to explore and purchase when they feel valued but not limited by the app.

You can encourage app usage by allowing different paths to purchase.

• Notify your mobile app users about the in-store discount at nearby stores

• Advertise your app in-store or on the mobile web

• Coupons for the use of the app as a mobile bank

• To complete a purchase, move mobile web shoppers to the app

• Push notifications can be used to remind users about items in their cart

• Advertise gamified shopping experiences on your mobile app

• If you prefer, add a wishlist button to allow users to buy products from their desktops.

Optimize your app experience by looking at your engagement metrics, surveying your users, and then adjusting your omnichannel strategy as necessary.

Consider adding app-like features on your website if your app is getting a lot of responses. These tweaks could include optimizing mobile loading times, reducing form field sizes, and streamlining checkout.

Apps are more useful if they can be used in a seamless, efficient way to buy. Your app doesn’t have to be downloaded by everyone. Make them aware of the app’s advantages. This will encourage people to download the app and engage with it in any way that interests them.

How people use shopping apps

Retail customers are increasingly using mobile apps to supplement their shopping. To save time and money, most users use shopping apps between 2-5 times per week.

The most used shopping apps at home are mass merchants and mobile apps for retailers. These retailers are trusted and reliable and can be relied upon by shoppers who want to make unique purchases as well as repeat purchases.

Convenience store apps can be used to save time and access coupons, often in-store or on the move. Apps for food and beverages play a similar role as they offer convenience, flexibility, and discounts in-store.

The Apparel Store mobile apps are used most frequently at home, but can also be used in stores. These customers are browsing and evaluating products across multiple channels. Retailers must encourage interaction and conversions through both digital and physical channels.

Brands have the opportunity to influence and convert customers through shopping apps. Mobile app retailers that are successful use an integrated, multichannel approach. This allows customers to make their own decisions about where, when, and how they shop.