In Q2 2022, Shein's mobile app installs in the US surpassed Amazon's for the first time, with 6.8 million downloads (up 13% Q/Q) compared to Amazon's 6.3 million (down 7%). Shein reached its highest US installs ever, more than triple Q2 2019's 2 million. Although Amazon still has triple the audience in monthly active users, Shein is closing the gap—from nine times in Q2 2020 to four times in Q2 2021.
US is Shein's largest market by lifetime installs (14% of global), while Brazil sees the most quarterly installs since Q4 2020, with 10.7 million in Q2 2022. Amazon will likely retain its MAU lead due to diverse offerings.
Subscription app revenue surged in 2021, with App Store up 33% and Google Play up 78%. Key challenges include user loyalty, conversion, and privacy. Deep measurement via in-app events, deep linking, and predictive analytics is crucial for UA and re-engagement.
Worldwide consumer spending on Apple's App Store and Google Play hit $65B in H1 2022, up 1% YoY. Game revenue fell 6.6% to $41.2B. TikTok led non-game apps with $1.7B spending. Installs dropped 1.5% to 71.2B.
App conversions measure user actions like purchases or sign-ups. Key types include app store, install-to-event, and install-to-purchase conversions. Optimize via ASO, UX, A/B testing, and seamless checkout to boost rates.
Mobile re-engagement strategies must adapt to Apple's ATT, which limits IDFA use. Marketers can use 1st-party data, segmented owned media, and incrementality measurement. Success requires diversification across paid, owned, and earned channels, plus optimized push notifications and timing of privacy prompts.
Mobile advertising uses paid channels on smartphones and tablets, offering hyper-targeting and cost-effectiveness but facing challenges like privacy changes and fraud. Key metrics include CPI, ROAS, and LTV. Effective strategies involve clear goals, audience definition, and mastering ATT prompts.
By 2026, global consumer spending on apps will reach $233 billion, up 77% from 2021, driven by a 12% CAGR. App Store growth outpaces Google Play, with the US leading at $86 billion. First-time downloads hit 181 billion at 4.7% CAGR, though US growth slows. Non-game apps gain share, especially Entertainment on iOS. Asia leads in downloads, India reaching 40.2 billion. Opportunities in Business and Medical apps persist post-pandemic.
Q4 2026 planning should treat peak shopping as a compressed event, not a week. Black Friday/Cyber Monday purchase lift runs 2–3x install lift, so ad ops must schedule by daypart and hour. Singles Day is not global: Brazil, UAE and Spain show real lift, while US/France barely react. CPI spikes hardest in supposedly cheap markets—Spain’s CPI rose nearly 50%. Remarketing already drives 65–92% of non-organic spend and rises during peak. Deep linking is critical: deep-linked users are ~2x more likely to purchase and spend nearly 3x more. Benchmark market CPI, shift budget to remarketing, and connect every entry point.
Data clean rooms let brands securely share anonymized user data, enabling privacy-compliant audience insights, campaign measurement, and personalization without exposing PII.
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