The State of Mobile 2025 report highlights continued growth in retail app downloads and usage globally, with 6.6 billion downloads and 41.9 billion hours spent in-app.
However, the US experienced a 9.6% decline in downloads and 4.5% drop in time spent YoY, partly due to inflation and competition from Chinese e-tailers like Temu and SHEIN.
Temu alone accounts for 8.3% of global downloads.
Top retailers like Walmart and Target succeed with combined mobile app and retail media strategies, while food delivery apps lead in mobile downloads.
The report emphasizes the need for omnichannel approaches, low prices, fast fulfillment, and app-based loyalty to stay competitive amidst global disruption.
Web-to-app strategies boost conversions by 77% and increase paying users to 13.6% on average. Key challenges include measurement gaps and user friction. Solutions like AppsFlyer Smart Banners and Google Ads' Web to App Connect enable seamless transitions and better ROI.
Mobile app IAP revenue hit a record $40B in Q1 2025, up 11% YoY, driven by non-game apps like ChatGPT and short drama. US digital ad spend reached $31B with 3.9T impressions, both up >10% YoY. Video ads grew 18%, while non-video fell 6%. Markets like France and Italy saw strong ad growth.
MolocoRetail media networks are set for major changes in 2025, prioritizing AI-driven personalization and onsite advertising. Advertisers will demand performance outcomes like cost per order, pushing RMNs to adopt outcome-based buying. Investments in sales, go-to-market, and self-serve platforms will democratize access, turning retail media into a core profit driver. Winning RMNs will combine ML tools with streamlined operations to deliver measurable results.
MolocoRetailers can build effective ad platforms by leveraging first-party data, machine learning, self-service automation, and outcomes-based performance. Learning from Google, Meta, and Amazon, RMNs should use purchase intent signals, AI for targeting, automation for scalability, and closed-loop attribution to prove ROI, transforming digital presence into powerful advertising solutions.
Instagram deep links route users to apps, but Instagram's walled garden often breaks them. AppsFlyer's OneLink provides deferred deep linking, attribution, and branded landing pages to fix this, making Instagram a measurable growth channel.
MolocoAmazon launches Retail Ad Service to provide retailers with its onsite ad tech, including contextual ads and native demand. Aimed at smaller retailers, it poses risks of data sharing and conflict of interest. Independent solutions like Moloco offer similar AI-driven capabilities without these drawbacks, allowing retailers to maintain control and competitive advantage.
Southeast Asia ranks second globally in mobile game downloads with 1.93 billion new installs in Q1 2025. Thailand leads IAP revenue at $162 million. Hyper-localization is key for success, as seen with Mobile Legends.
Retail media networks report ROAS differently, causing a 63% fluctuation. Brands need independent measurement to reconcile cross-channel data, as network reports aren't designed for portfolio decisions.
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