The e-commerce application market is developing rapidly and has been demonstrating a significant shift in consumer behavior toward mobile shopping for several years. If you don’t want to be left behind, you must understand, follow, and adjust your strategies based on key consumer trends and preferences.

This time we delve into the most important findings from the e-commerce app landscape in countries such as the US, UK, and even India, and provide data that speaks of the e-commerce apps’ market state.

Key e-commerce app statistics

So let’s take a look at the most critical e-commerce app statistics, insights, and more, about the market, top apps, app downloads and sessions, and more, based on information from Retail App Report 2024 from Business of Apps.

The e-commerce app landscape

The e-commerce app market experienced significant growth in 2022, with total revenue reaching $3.59 trillion – it was an 8.1% increase from the previous year. This growth highlights the increasing consumer preference for shopping via mobile apps. 

Globally, the US accounted for about 10% of e-commerce sales, trailing behind China in terms of total spending. 

Moreover, in the US, mobile e-commerce constituted 7.4% of total retail sales, while in the UK, it was notably higher, at 15.8%. 

Amazon dominated as the most popular e-commerce retailer in both the US and UK. This, in turn, is no great surprise, given the global popularity of this platform.

The past two years, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, saw a surge in e-commerce app downloads and usage. It reflected the shift to online shopping in the face of global blockades and social distancing measures.

Top e-commerce apps

E-commerce apps have significantly transformed how we shop, offering convenience, variety, and personalized experiences right at our fingertips. Among the top contenders are:

• Amazon – leads the pack in the West, renowned for its vast product range and Prime services. 
• eBay – initially a consumer-to-consumer platform, now mirrors Amazon with a focus on business-to-consumer sales. 
• Etsy – specializes in handmade, vintage items, and crafts, serving a niche market. 
• Wayfair – caters to home goods and furniture, collaborating with thousands of global suppliers. 
• Shopee and Meesho – have become dominant in Asia, with Shopee expanding its presence in India and Meesho becoming the most downloaded shopping app in 2021. 
• AliExpress – offers a broad range of products internationally, with popularity in Latin America and the Middle East. 
• Flipkart and JD.com – are major players in India and China, respectively, competing closely with Amazon and Alibaba’s Tmall and Taobao. 
• Pinduoduo – introduces a novel approach to shopping in China with its social commerce model. 
• Mercado Libre – stands out in Latin America and has 139 million active users.
• Tokopedia – is the go-to e-commerce platform in Indonesia, showcasing the diverse landscape of e-commerce apps globally.

E-commerce app revenue

E-commerce app revenue is high due to several factors, including the convenience of shopping from anywhere, personalized shopping experiences through data analytics, and a wide selection of products. The global shift towards digital and mobile-first consumer behavior has also significantly contributed to the surge in e-commerce app usage and revenue. 

Further, e-commerce apps leverage targeted marketing and seamless payment options to enhance user experience and drive sales and customer loyalty.

Take a look at the annual revenue of mobile e-commerce apps (2016 – 2022:)

Source: Business of Apps

The case also looks attractive when it comes to e-commerce app revenue in the US. This country contributed 10% of the total global mobile e-commerce revenue in 2022.

Here is the mobile ecommerce annual app revenue in the US (2016 – 2022.)

Source: Business of Apps

E-commerce app sales vs. total retail 

• In the US

Staying on the topic of the US, mobile e-commerce was responsible for 7.4% of total retail sales in this country and about 53% of all e-commerce. 

This is what mobile e-commerce sales were as a percentage of total e-commerce in the US (2010 – 2022.)

Source: Business of Apps

• In the UK

How do app sales compare to total retail in the UK? They’re much better, as the percentage of total retail sales conducted through mobile e-commerce was as much as 15.8%! As we can see from the chart, this is much more than in the same year in the US. However, the UK can do more, as 2020 proves.

The percentage of mobile e-commerce sales of total e-commerce in the US (2010 – 2022.)

Source: Business of Apps

E-commerce app market share 

• In the US

If we’re talking about market share, Amazon is far ahead of competitors in the US e-commerce market, with 37.8%. That’s no surprise, as with around 150 million Prime subscribers in the US, it’s difficult for other competitors, even established ones, to offer the same value. Walmart and Apple also made it to the podium, followed by other popular brands such as eBay and Target.

Mobile e-commerce market share in the US in 2022.

Source: Business of Apps

• In the UK

In the UK, the first place remains unchanged, and it is Amazon. As we can see, this company has a great influence on UK e-commerce, but its market share is much lower than in the US. The next places are occupied by Sainsbury’s and Argos – the biggest challenge for Amazon, which, despite everything, did not defeat it.

Mobile e-commerce market share in the UK in 2022.

Source: Business of Apps

• In India

But what about a populated country like India? In this case, the e-commerce market is an almost neck-and-neck race between two strong brands: Flipkart, which nevertheless wins with 29.8%, and Amazon, which lags slightly behind with 22.7%. In the next places, even further behind, we have Reliance Retail and Meesho.

Mobile e-commerce market share in India in 2022.

Source: Business of Apps

E-commerce app downloads

There has also been a noticeable change in e-commerce application downloads and sessions. Just take a look: from 2017 to 2022, ecommerce app sessions have increased by 121%. Moreover, the number of downloads increased by 27%

Here are ecommerce app downloads and sessions (2017 – 2023.)

Source: Business of Apps

It’s your time to build an e-commerce app!

If you are still wondering whether it is worth building an e-commerce application because you don’t know whether many people use it, stop wondering and start taking action! Given the booming popularity and revenue generated by e-commerce apps, the decision to develop an e-commerce application should be met with enthusiasm rather than hesitation. 

The evidence is clear: millions of users worldwide are embracing e-commerce apps for their convenience, variety, and personalized shopping experiences. Now is your time to seize the opportunity and leverage the momentum to establish a presence in the vibrant e-commerce app market.

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