Beijing, China, October 16, 2026 – As the Q4 shopping season approaches, global shopping apps are entering a new wave of growth opportunities. According to Adjust's 2026 Shopping App Insights Report, global shopping app sessions rose 15% year over year in H1 2026, while e-commerce app installs grew 2%. At the same time, paid user acquisition is playing an increasingly important role in app growth. Marketers need to more precisely identify channels and campaigns that bring high-value consumers, so they can prepare for the upcoming shopping season.

Greg Wang, Adjust's Vice President for the Americas, said: "E-commerce apps delivered strong overall performance in H1 2026, and major shopping events continue to gain momentum. However, user acquisition costs keep rising, and paid installs have become the core driver of business growth. As the Q4 shopping season approaches, marketers need to accurately identify channels, target markets, and campaigns that can bring high-LTV consumers to achieve more efficient growth. All of this depends on reliable data measurement as the foundation."

The 2026 Shopping App Insights Report is based on real data from thousands of apps on Adjust, helping marketers benchmark app performance and accurately track changes in consumer behavior. The report covers three verticals—Shopping, Marketplaces & Classifieds, and Offer Discovery—with research spanning global, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East & North Africa, and North America. Data ranges from January 2024 to June 2026.

Report Highlights

- In H1 2026, shopping app sessions grew 15% year over year, while offer discovery app sessions rose 10%. North America led growth, with sessions up 26% and installs up 46%. Latin America followed, with sessions up 25%. Globally, shopping app installs accounted for about three-quarters (72%) of all e-commerce app installs.

- Singapore posted the fastest e-commerce app install growth worldwide, up 67% year over year. The United States (49%), Vietnam (42%), India (37%), and Indonesia (36%) followed. Indonesia and Singapore also showed strong session growth, up 62% and 58% year over year, respectively.

- In H1 2026, the global paid-to-organic install ratio reached 0.72, up 26% from 2025 and 47% from 2024. Paid installs accounted for a larger share of growth in every vertical. Shopping apps led at 0.76. Marketplaces & Classifieds apps delivered the fastest two-year growth across all verticals, rising 50% to 0.57.

- The Q4 e-commerce seasonal shopping peak continued to expand year after year. In Q4 2025, overall e-commerce sessions rose 7%, offer discovery app installs surged 35%, and marketplaces & classifieds installs and sessions each grew 7%. November was especially strong, with sessions 9% above the annual average.

- India saw the largest decline in cost per install (CPI), down 57% to $0.10. North America remained the most expensive region, with CPI reaching $3.12, up 14%. The global median CPI remained basically stable at $1.08.

- On user retention, marketplaces & classifieds apps had the highest Day 1 retention rate at 19%, ranking first among all verticals.

The 2026 Shopping App Insights Report is now fully available. Facing the upcoming Q4 shopping season, how can marketers accurately identify high-LTV channels, optimize paid acquisition strategies, and capture growth opportunities in North America and Southeast Asia? Click to download the full report for global and regional in-depth data and actionable insights, and get ahead to win the 2026 shopping season.

About Adjust

Adjust is part of AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP) and is a leading provider of integrated app marketing measurement, analytics, deep linking, and fraud prevention solutions. Trusted by businesses worldwide, Adjust helps marketers efficiently reach every user touchpoint across all channels, platforms, and scenarios. Powered by AI-driven analytics, automated operations, privacy-first attribution, and omnichannel interaction solutions, Adjust delivers deep insights and efficient tools that help customers significantly improve return on investment, continuously optimize user experience, and fully empower brands to achieve steady omnichannel growth.

Source: E-commerce Pai
Original link: https://www.pai.com.cn/p/01m51rr35958sav2r4fks0mvy2