App Annie, the leading mobile data and analytics company, predicts the biggest Q4 holiday shopping season on mobile yet — with nearly 1 billion hours to be spent on Android devices in the US, up 50% YoY.
Driven by the need for essentials while maintaining home lockdowns, mobile e-commerce boomed in H1 2020. App Annie predicts mobile growth will continue in Q4 with a longer shopping season due to October’s Prime Day and contraction in the US economy driving consumers to seek deals and promotions for longer leading up to the holidays on their mobile devices.
App Annie also predicts Alibaba’s Singles Day 2020 will bring in over $45 billion USD in 24 hours, marking the biggest shopping day ever, with the lion’s share fueled by mobile commerce. Despite economic headwinds, early COVID containment in China and a surge in retail spending point to mobile playing a major role this Singles’ Day.
Other expected growth includes:
- Payments: PayPal reported its best quarter ever, with total payment volume increasing 29% year over year. This is due in part to mobile features like QR codes and contactless payments in the PayPal and Venmo apps meeting consumers’ needs during COVID-19.
- Grocery: Driven by demand for mobile ordering, weekly sessions in Shopping apps in Q2 2020 were 25% above peak 2019 holiday levels. This Thanksgiving, grocery app usage will remain high as shoppers leverage apps for evaluating inventory, self-checkout and BOPIS.
- Delivery Services: In December, apps such as UberEATS, DoorDash, and Grubhub will become valuable solutions for those limiting contact and dining-in due to cold weather. In Q2 2020, demand for food delivery and QSR apps lead to 45% growth in average weekly sessions of Food and Drink apps from Q4 2019.
“During the last 6 months consumers turned to their trusted mobile devices for a convenient shopping experience. Mobile shopping growth in Q2 2020 indicates mobile’s booming role in this year’s holiday shopping season. Retailers, fintech and payment providers should prioritize features that resonate with shopping-from-home and socially-distant needs to capture customer spend and loyalty in our mobile-first world.” Lexi Sydow, Senior Market Insights Manager, App Annie
