E-commerce revenues have disappointed in 2022. Despite this, shopping apps like Takko Friends, ABOUT YOU, and Netto-App continue to dominate Germany’s top charts.
Last week, in an article about the top U.S. m-commerce apps, we wrote about the ongoing struggles of the global e-commerce sector. We noted that online sales in Europe had slumped 13% in the first quarter of 2022.
This week, we turn our attention to Germany, where e-commerce activity has slowed due to a combination of factors, including inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Despite these factors, shopping apps continue to dominate Germany’s top charts. Indeed, Takko Friends, ABOUT YOU, and Netto-App have become fixtures in the country’s top five overall apps.
Here’s what we found…
Germany Loves Shopping Apps…
Here’s where Takko Friends, ABOUT YOU, and Netto-App currently stand in the Google Play top charts for Germany:
On May 23rd, 2022 ABOUT YOU was ranked third, Netto-App was fourth, and Takko Friends was fifth. Solid performances all around.
The iOS versions of these apps are ranked highly as well. While they’re not as tightly bunched, all three are in the top 20 in Germany. On May 23rd, the iOS version of ABOUT YOU was ranked first overall, Netto-App was 13th, and Takko Friends was ranked 17th.
ABOUT YOU Is Beginning to Take Off in Germany…
Okay, now let’s dive a little deeper. Here’s how the Android versions of ABOUT YOU, Netto-App, and Takko Friends have performed in Germany in 2022 (year-to-date)…
These apps have combined for 1,472,702 Google Play downloads thus far in 2022, with Takko Friends leading the way at 880,208. By and large Takko Friends has been easily the best performer in Germany this year, often surpassing 15,000 daily downloads and hitting a high of 33,445 on March 6th.
That said, ABOUT YOU has exploded in recent days. Despite struggling to surpass 1,000 daily downloads for a substantial portion of the year, it’s currently trending above 20,000. On May 22nd it notched a record 23,364 downloads in Germany.
Next up, the iOS apps…
On the German App Store, these shopping apps have netted 1,763,852 downloads — slightly higher than the Android numbers.
However, among iOS users, ABOUT YOU leads the pack. It’s already been downloaded 1,023,881 times from the German App Store in 2022. As with the Android version of the app, the vast majority of these downloads have come in recent weeks. While ABOUT YOU spent most of the year generating between 2,000 and 5,000 daily downloads, it surged in the month of May. On the 17th, for example, ABOUT YOU recorded 59,447 downloads.
However, Takko Friends Still Leads in Overall Downloads…
Combining downloads from both platforms, here’s how each app has performed in 2022:
- Takko Friends: 1,679,223 downloads
- ABOUT YOU: 1,228,858 downloads
- Netto-App: 611,976 downloads
Germany Usage Numbers on the Rise…
Now, we should point out, downloads do not equal usage. Considering declining e-commerce revenues, we thought we’d take a look at how many monthly active users (MAU) these apps have in Germany. We found that usage was up — with one exception! Check it out…
Takko Friends Android Monthly Active Users (April 2021 - April 2022)
ABOUT YOU Android Monthly Active Users (April 2021 - April 2022)
Netto-App Android Monthly Active Users (April 2021 - April 2022)
Final Thoughts
If e-commerce revenues are down in Germany, it’s certainly not due to a lack of interest. Shopping apps like Takko Friends, ABOUT YOU, and Netto-App are among the most popular mobile offerings in German app stores. Downloads are strong, usage is up, and ABOUT YOU is currently having by far its best month of the year.
Still, this does not mean purchases and revenues must necessarily follow. Indeed, downloads and usage numbers ultimately tell us very little about what people do once they open an app. In context, then, it would seem that declining revenues have far more to do with external factors driving purchasing decisions than with a general dissatisfaction with mobile shopping apps.
