Shopping apps 'attract' users thanks to AI

DNVN - With the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and smart customer approach, shopping apps are shifting from scaling strategy to prioritizing attracting high-quality and highly engaged users.

On August 18, Adjust released its 2025 Shopping App Market Report, documenting a strategic shift in how brands in the Asia- Pacific (APAC) region and globally approach user acquisition (UA).

While e-commerce app installs fell 14% year-on-year globally in the first half of 2025, sessions increased by 2%. This means that while apps are attracting fewer new users, they are successfully driving engagement from existing users.

This is further confirmed by the 29% increase in the global reallocation share of e-commerce applications in the first half of 2025 compared to 2023. It can be seen that brands are increasing their investment in reconnecting strategies with existing users, no longer focusing only on attracting new users.

In the first half of 2025, each shopping app will partner with an average of 7 advertising partners.

Adjust’s report shows significant regional shifts in mobile e-commerce growth trends. While mature markets such as Europe, North America, and MENA saw slowing growth due to market saturation and changing consumer behavior, the Asia- Pacific (APAC) region led the way with a 13% increase in installs and a 2% increase in sessions year-over-year.

“Globally, and especially in APAC, we are seeing growth not only in the size but also in the maturity of the mobile e-commerce market,” said April Tayson, Regional Vice President INSEAU at Adjust.

From 2024 to the first half of 2025, shopping apps will account for more than 75% of all installs in the global e-commerce industry, but will only contribute 36% of total sessions – indicating a large proportion of users are not maintaining their engagement levels after installation. In contrast, marketplace apps – which account for only 20% of installs – will generate 60% of sessions, reflecting their superior ability to retain and re-engage users.

The average session duration of e-commerce applications also tends to decrease, to only 9.89 minutes in the first half of 2025, compared to 10.23 minutes in 2024. The marketplace application group alone continues to lead with the highest average session duration, reaching 10.69 minutes.

According to the Q1/2025 data, the global cost per install (CPI) for e-commerce apps reached $0.99, with shopping apps recording a CPI of $1.01, higher than marketplace apps at $0.89. While the cost of acquiring new users continues to increase, click-through rates remain stable at 2% globally, indicating consistent user engagement across channels.

The report highlights the importance of building seamless experiences across platforms, with mobile web emerging as a high-intent touchpoint, requiring a smooth and seamless transition from web to app. In the first half of 2025, each shopping app will partner with an average of seven advertising partners, up from six in 2023, reflecting the growing emphasis on channel diversification by brands.

Ha Minh

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/chuyen-doi-so/kinh-te-so/cac-ung-dung-mua-sam-hut-nguoi-dung-nho-ai/20250818114629180