Criteo's latest mobile commerce report claims that a tipping point has been reached, with apps accounting for more travel purchases than the mobile web.
For the October to December quarter, Criteo found that, for travel purchases made from a mobile device, 58% were via an app — the first time apps have outperformed mobile web.
Criteo's global sample comprises 3,300 online travel and retail businesses, which handle 1.7 billion transactions a year and net sales of some $17 billion, collectively.
Other than the 58% tipping point, travel specifics are thin on the ground, although with the industry zeitgeist around "acting like a retailer", the findings are relevant in a bigger picture context.
Cross-device shopping in now the norm, and Criteo drills down deeply into this. In the US, people who complete their purchase on a tablet are the most likely to have used multiple devices before clicking the "buy now" button.
On a global scale, apps convert better than desktop and mobile web for retailers:
And not only do apps convert better, they have a higher basket value.
A country-by-country breakdown of retail conversion rates, using the US as the base, shows that the Japanese are by far the most likely to convert. The UK and Germany are among the countries which outperform the US, with France, Spain, and Brazil among those doing worse.
Click here to access Criteo's holding page with links to the report as a Powerpoint slide or a booklet.
NB: Image by Shutterstock
Related reading from Tnooz:
Tnooz first looked at the apps versus mobile web debate five years ago to the day! Click here to have a look at "Apps, mobile web or both for travel companies?" published in 2011.