U.S. Consumers Using Shopping Apps More Often

U.S. consumers who use shopping apps turn to them frequently: More than one-third of people (35%) use shopping apps between two and five times a week, while 28% use them at least once a day, according to new survey data released by Visual Objects.

Visual Objects’ data supports findings from another survey, which found that the number of retail apps on the average smartphone doubled within the last year – up to four total. As more people download shopping apps, the more likely these apps are to occupy people’s time.

When people use shopping apps, they’re most likely to use an app from mass merchant retailers like Target, Walmart, or Costco (81%), pure online retailers like Amazon or Overstock (77%), or apparel retailers (79%). The most popular shopping apps offer a benefits-driven and frictionless path to purchase. Other findings:

Smartphone users who use retail apps at least once per month reveal exactly how often they say they use them:

• 35% 2-5 times a week
• 19% once a week
• 18% 2-3 times per month
• 16% several times a day
• 12% once a day

The categories of these apps say they use the most:

• 81% mass merchant retailers
• 77% pure online retailers
• 61% of food and beverage
• 35% of apparel
• 33% of convenience stores