Key stat: Some 71% of US mobile shopping app users typically buy through the app when a brand offers both an app and a mobile website, according to a September report from RZR.

Beyond the chart:

• But the first stop isn't always your app. Roughly 1 in 4 online shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping journeys on an AI platform such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude, according to Bain.
• Meanwhile, getting the download is the harder sell. Some 41% of US adults skip retail mobile apps because they prefer shopping in-store to see products in person, according to Ipsos.

Use this chart: Drop this into your holiday mobile planning deck to argue for app-first checkout, promotions, and push alerts. Show it to teams weighing whether app-exclusive deals are worth the investment, then pair it with your own app versus mobile web conversion data to show where your shoppers close.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Holiday Shopping 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Infopack: App Users and Monetization 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the August 2026 Rzr report titled, "Mobile Holiday Shopper Survey." 500 US consumers were surveyed online between July 23-25, 2026. The sample was weighted to the US census. All participants had at least one retail or brand shopping app installed, and had made a purchase through a retail app in the last 12 months.