In Google Play, the rate of shopping app additions grew by 18.1% year over year in 2018. But in the App Store, additions decreased by 23.1% from 27,563 in 2017. It’s common for Google Play to feature more apps than the App Store because Android apps are easier to develop, according to Adam Blacker, vice president of insights and global alliances at Apptopia. However, competition in an already crowded field dominated by successful startups and retail giants has contributed to the slowdown of shopping apps added to the App Store.
“Competition is high with big-budget apps,” Blacker said. “If you are in the iOS shopping category, you're either trying to make money through in-app purchases, a brick-and-mortar retailer—like Walmart or Target—that wants a digital presence or a digital-only provider like Wish or GOAT.”
Shopping apps are seeing an increase in downloads worldwide and many US smartphone and tablet users have browsed and made purchases on mobile retail apps. In a February 2019 survey conducted by Bizrate Insights, 54% of US smartphone/tablet owners said they have used a mobile retail app to look for more information about a product and service, and 50% used a mobile retail app to buy a product or service.