App Commerce News – February 2020

This month we discuss the shape of the app commerce landscape, how holidays like Valentine’s Day can play an important role in your retail strategy and we look at the latest from retailers nailing their app commerce strategies.

The App Commerce Landscape

Mobile continues to play a big role in retail. Sixty-four per cent of retailer’s traffic is mobile and mobile now accounts for 50% of sales according to SalesCycle, however, retailers using the Poq platform see an average of 85%. Ecommerce over the holiday peak trading period 2020 is expected to grow a staggering 13.9% according to Emarketer, reaching $156 billion. This will be fuelled by the progression of mobile technology and the accessibility of smartphones & reliable internet connections. Retailers need to reach the hearts and minds of their target audiences by being where their customers are, on app.

Poq Research: App Traffic Overtakes Desktop Traffic

As reported in Forbes, it’s important for retailers to “Simplify the basics of app development by focusing on converting the shopper to a purchaser with ease of app usage and basic personalization.” Essentially, it’s important to get the basics right and walk before you can run. This is one of the many benefits of building on an established app commerce platform, where the basics are perfected, leaving you time to focus on what’s important, your customers.

Need more information on the decision making behind building your shopping app? We’ve put together this handy post about The Power of Building on a SaaS Platform

Annual events influencing app commerce

It’s accepted industry-wide that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the biggest sales days of the year, but how do other annual events impact on consumer behaviour and most importantly, spending?

Valentine’s Day – new research suggests that people’s app activity changes on the run-up to Valentine’s Day. In terms of shopping, it was found that app revenue peaked on February 3rd, meaning the shopping season starts at least 2 weeks prior to the event. This makes it vital for retailers to be on the ball and start promotions well in advance of the event.

We’ve put all the most important dates you need to know for successful campaigns in one place.

Honourable retail mentions

We’re proud to see retailer’s embracing app commerce and the ways social media is changing how we shop. Here are February’s honourable mentions:

• John Lewis Virtual Sofa AR feature – launched this month enabling shoppers to see how sofas will look in their own homes
• Walmart drives 50% more app downloads – Walmart’s changes to its’ social strategy to be more conversational and reactive have driven a staggering 50% increase in app downloads
• TikTok – changing the way shoppers interact with brands. TikTok ad campaigns often involve retailer’s setting challenges for TikTok users encouraging engagement with the brand and creating user-generated content.
• Pinterest Try-On AR – The biggest make-up brands from likes of Estée Lauder, Sephora, bareMinerals, Neutrogena and L’Oreal brands have participated in Pinterest’s’ new Try-On Augmented Reality (AR) feature using its’ Lens visual search solution allowing shopper to try on different make-up shades on their cameras, within the app.

Want to understand how app shopper behaviour changes over the holiday period and practical tips for improving your app engagement?