Electronic commerce has progressed exponentially to the point where most consumers choose to make their purchases online rather than going directly to stores. However, there is a debate about the device used to make these online purchases.
Statista made a global consumer survey and the results showed that the majority of these used mobile devices to make purchases in 2020, while less than half of the users used computers. 57% of German consumers say that the mobile was their main device for shopping. In other countries such as Spain or Italy, the percentage is similar.
The survey shows that more than half of online stores (47%) offer their consumers one or more shopping applications. A 46% of these stores have an application of Manzana, a 45% on Android, while only one 1% have a Huawei app. The percentage of applications that a store has depends on the number of visitors, that is, a large store that has a multitude of consumers will have more possibilities of having several applications compared to a small store that has hardly any visits. According ecommerceDB, “Only 12% of the online stores analyzed with an annual number of visitors below 500,000 run a mobile application in 2021.”
The report also reports that the most successful applications are those related to the fashion, footwear and automotive accessories sectors (between 20% and 30%). Although stores that focus on selling also have a high percentage groceries, beverages, or pet supplies (72%). Although it is normal that many stores do not yet have a mobile application, since, like everything, it comes at a cost. This could be the reason why smaller stores have not yet taken that step.