Retail mobile app development sphere is growing from day to day with not only major retail businesses, but also small stores embracing all the benefits of mobile apps. Why do owners of retail firms and ecommerce businesses keep on introducing their own mobile apps to the public? That’s so mainly due to the greater user engagement and retention that mobile apps provide. In other words, retail mobile apps help to increase conversations between users and a brand, eventually leading to interactions on a regular basis. And all this means profits for your business. So whoever needs to build strong relationships with customers in the most effective way must develop and launch mobile apps.
If you happen to be the owner of any retail business, ecommerce website, grocery store, department store, supermarket, retail outlet, you’ll definitely find this article worth reading. Moreover, irrespective of the type of goods you sell, be you a consumer electronics retailer, a mass fashion merchandiser, or an already established business selling home furnishing products you will definitely find some useful insights reading this piece. So let’s first have a look at the retail mobile app market situation.
Retail Mobile App Development & mCommerce App Markets
Starting 2015 retail app development has witnessed a stunning 81% growth, and the tendency is only positive. In addition, recent statistics say that 303 of the leading 500 retail businesses have a mobile app. So no wonder that analysts predict the global market of retail apps to reach $15.8 billion by 2020. As for the market of ecommerce mobile apps, it is projected to reach staggering $434 billion only in the USA.
Traditional online (and offline) shopping experience has changed in recent years with a quick shift to the use of mobile applications. More consumers prefer retail mobile apps and so-called mCommerce (mobile e-commerce) applications today to responsive websites. Today 59% of US consumers own a smartphone, and eMarketer analysts predict this percentage to grow to 71% by 2019. Thus the perspective to engage more retail business and online shopping consumers through small screens should not be neglected in any way.
Moreover, augmented reality, use of machine learning and AI algorithms such as chatbots and virtual assistants not only help to personalize experience for each and every customer of a retail mobile app. They also advance and revolutionize the whole meaning of shopping experience and shopping decision making process for both prospects and loyal customers.
Retail Mobile Apps Segmentation
Mobile app developers who create apps for retail industry, including shopping and ecommerce apps, don’t make any particular segmentation of the market. However, for easier understanding let’s try to do a further classification, which might help retail business owners to see the opportunities for the development of their own mobile apps.
Retail Mobile App Development for Grocery Stores
Grocery shopping list apps are in high demand among consumers today, and actually are very common. They offer easy substitution of an old school “pen-on-paper” list, which consumers may lose when they need it the most. This alternative is the mobile app with a built-in database of the products that the grocery store sells. To engage consumers even more business owners can implement coupons and special offers in the app. In addition, the app can use points earned with each item purchased or a purchase made (technically by means of a grocery receipt scanned), and then accumulated in the consumer profile within the app. Thus with points accumulated consumers can earn cash back on their future purchases.
Actually there are many great grocery store mobile apps, which can inspire any retail business owner for creating their own bright app. Here are some interesting examples of retail mobile app development for grocery stores:
- Flipp. The free mobile app for Android and iOS simplifies coupon management. It matches local deals with favorite brands of the user, thus helping to save on weekly shopping.
- Big Oven. In this free mobile app a typical grocery list functionality is extended by recipes, menu and meals suggestions. Saving a preferred recipe a user can add all the ingredients to the grocery list in alphabetical order.
- Cozi Family Organizer. This free app for iPhones and Apple Watch lets users to create a single calendar shared with all family members. The calendar can include to-do lists, list of groceries, family recipes. Reminders for important family events can also be set in the app.
- Grocery IQ. The app offers iPhone users a possibility to create shopping lists by scanning product barcodes, searching items with voice commands or simply typing in needed items.
- Although Trello and Wunderlist are classic task management apps they are also often used for creating grocery lists. Both allow users to share lists with others, create reminders and due dates for tasks.
Retail Mobile App Development for Supermarkets
Consumers love shopping in supermarkets as they offer a much wider assortment of positions than small local shops or grocery stores. For the best shopping experience in supermarkets their owners can provide consumers with mobile apps that have built-in barcode scanner functionality. Thus it will be very convenient for consumers to find out all the information about the product themselves, without the help of the staff. It’s a quite a time-saving feature, agree? Another great option to consider for implementing in the app is task sharing between the family members.
But why to think only in the plane of consumers? To improve internal process any supermarket owner can introduce a mobile app to the staff. For instance, a mobile app that helps a personnel to find particular goods info by barcode scanning functionality.
A great example of such application is HHPicking, which was developed by Adoriasoft for one of its clients. This cross-platform mobile app drastically simplifies all goods storage/refill operations. It effectively works with Honeywell barcode scanner technology for the benefit of the staff and business. On this project worked three Adoriasoft specialists: Project Manager, Delphi Developer and QA Engineer. Having developed HHPicking, the company helped its client to significantly improve operational processes.
Retail Mobile App Development for Fashion Outlets
Online fashion retailers and fashion outlets also don’t want to be left behind the digital era of mobility and mobile apps. Many worldwide fashion retailers and outlets keep up with the latest trends in retail mobile app development. It’s clear from the various fantastic mobile apps they offer consumers. Furthermore, any retail business including fashion retailers need optimized warehouse process. And that’s when mobile apps also come in handy. Let’s look at one more example right now:
Net-a-porter mobile app for Android and iOS is basically a mobile version of one of the most popular online fashion outlets today – Net-a-porter.com. The mobile app though provides additional functionality to create wishlists. It also makes use of push notifications for getting alerts about promotions and sales. We consider it to be a bright instance of a successful mCommerce app in terms of design and usability, which the Adoriasoft team of developers is capable of creating too. With pleasure!
As for creating solutions for e-commerce fashion businesses, Adoriasoft can boast a powerful Object Recognition tool – Object Mask. The technology implemented in the software creates an object mask, which in turn can be used for recognizing goods on the e-commerce website. So this program is kind of “a desktop Shazam” for online shopping businesses. Using this object recognition technology on any e-commerce website or mCommerce app will let consumers easily find similar items in the store. All in all, by means of this technology your shoppers will spend more time and money in your online store or mobile app.
Retail Mobile App Development for Warehouses
All the work behind retail business needs an effective management, right? And managing warehouses is not an easy task for wholesalers, manufacturers, exporters, importers and other businesses that use goods storage. Mobile apps can help warehouse workers. Also they can be integrated into the automated system of a warehouse for even more efficiency.
For one of its most esteemed clients – APM Terminals – Adoriasoft has developed a unique client-server mobile app. The application was written in C# programming language. Adoriasoft developers made it to help the international container terminal operating business optimize their warehouse processes. Four specialists worked to successfully execute the project: Head of .NET Department, Senior .NET Developer, Project Manager and Senior QA Engineer. As a result, by means of the mobile app created APM Terminals has benefited from an improved automated warehouse process.
Routebook is another example of a mobile app that improves warehouse operational cycle. Adoriasoft has created this cross-platform mobile app for one of its clients. The main goal was to hone order preparation process and logistic route for those picking orders. The app serves as a very useful tool for order pickers, saving them time and effort.
Which Retail Mobile App Development Company to Choose?
For creation of a reliable, effective and successful retail mobile app any smart businessman should consider only professionals. It’s reasonable to work with developers who have expertise, skills and zest enough to make their dream come true. Adoriasoft is more than 8 years in mobile app development business, That’s to say we have developed a wide range of projects for retail businesses, manufacturers, and their internal process optimization.
Our expertise enables us to provide development works of any complexity needed to our clients. We can create landing pages dedicated to the launch of a new product, regional websites, whole systems for internal process optimization and much more than that. So if you’re thinking of developing a retail mobile app, mCommerce app, an app for warehouse process optimization or another iOS/Android mobile app, simply contact Adoriasoft today. We’ll provide a free estimation of your project and we’ll be all ready to start developing it right away for you!