'Covid-19 has changed the relationship between mobile users and apps': Taranjeet Singh, Criteo

According to a survey conducted by Criteo, mobile phone users in India have started depending more on apps as they have turned to them for shopping (67 per cent downloaded at least one shopping app among retail, food, or grocery/alcohol), connecting virtually with friends and families, and for entertainment. 

 

The survey was conducted between 11-17 June with 1,079 respondents across the country.

 

62 per cent of the respondents had downloaded a video streaming app in the last 15-30 days before the survey was conducted. 57 per cent of them had downloaded a social networking app while 55 per cent downloaded a video conferencing app. Gaming (54 per cent), Podcasts/music/audio (47 per cent), news (46 per cent), retail shopping (45 per cent), Education for kids (44 per cent), food delivery (41 per cent) and grocery/alcohol delivery (41 per cent) completed the top 10.

 

Word-of-mouth and targeted ads drove app installations according to the report. 

 

App users believe suggestions from people they know and trust. More than one in 2 Indians heard about an app they downloaded during quarantine from family, friends, or co-workers. Ads are also a very important player to promote an app according to the report, as seven out of ten Indians said they downloaded an app during quarantine after seeing an ad on social networks, on TV, or on a different app.

 

69 per cent of the app users have clicked on an in-app ad in the last six months. 64 per cent of these users have made a purchase after clicking on an in-app ad in the last six months too. Among the reasons for not making a purchase after clicking on an in-app add, the most common was expensive shipping. 29 per cent of the users also claimed that the product was out of stock after being served an ad for it.

 

According to the report, keeping app users engaged will be crucial moving forward, as 50 per cent of the respondents stated that they are likely to delete the apps they downloaded during the lockdown. 

 

Taranjeet Singh, MD- India and South East Asia, Criteo, said,  “From buying groceries and meals to home entertainment and workouts, apps have shown their versatility to cater to varying audience segments to meet their needs and wants. Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the relationship between mobile users and their apps, elevating their importance to users due to their convenience during these times. We see that this could continue to be the trend even in the recovery stages after lockdowns as consumers have experienced and enjoyed the benefits of using apps. Brands and retailers will have to build up their presence in this area to stay competitive in the long term.”