LIFETIME upto 85% OFF on all plans. Limited time only. CHECK NOW
Build, engage, and analyse with Twinr's no-code mobile app features.
Get customized mobile app solutions for every industry and platform.
Your knowledge hub for seamless mobile app creation and optimization!
Home » Blogs » Top 20 Best Shopping Apps to Explore in 2024
By Gaurav Parvadiya | Last Updated On July 12th, 2024
Online shopping apps have never been as popular as they are now. Every day, more people choose the ease of shopping directly from their phones, without having to visit a store or even open a browser.
Any reputable retailer now has its own shopping app. However, shopping apps are not confined to branded applications; some of the most popular online shopping apps today are marketplace apps, multi-brand apps, and apps that make shopping easier both online and in-store. Be it marriage shopping, clothing and electronics everything is bought online through various shopping apps.
E-commerce apps are transforming online shopping, offering convenience, personalization, and a seamless shopping experience that’s hard to replicate in physical stores or on websites.
Whether you’re a consumer searching for online shopping or a business looking for the best shopping apps examples, we have you covered with our list of shopping apps in 2024.
The e-commerce industry is expanding rapidly; in the US alone, it is estimated to be worth $1.06 trillion by the end of 2024. With sales approaching $1.5 trillion in 2021, China is the global leader in e-commerce and the largest market overall.
Experts predict that by 2027, e-commerce will have a predicted market penetration of 66.6% and engage over 5.29 billion consumers worldwide.
The growth of mobile commerce, which refers to e-commerce transactions exclusively carried out on mobile devices, is a more recent development than the well-documented rise of e-commerce.
The mobile commerce business in the US has grown to $431 billion in recent years & is expected to grow to more than $710 billion by 2025. Currently, 38% of all digital spending in the US is attributed to mobile commerce, with over 100 billion hours being spent annually on e-commerce applications.
In the next two years, there is a projected 150% growth in the e-commerce market. There once was a period when the growth of e-commerce threatened traditional brick-and-mortar establishments. Now, if conventional e-commerce websites don’t change to accommodate m-commerce, they risk going extinct.
It’s high time to take advantage of mobile apps and create a significant place in the app market.
The goals and features of shopping applications differ greatly from one another. Every kind of app—from big-box stores to specialized brand applications—meets different customer demands and tastes. To learn more about the distinctive qualities and advantages of each category of best shopping apps, let’s dive in.
Examples: Amazon, eBay
Apps for marketplaces function as intermediaries between sellers and purchasers of various products. By enabling transactions between individual sellers, small businesses, and consumers, Amazon and eBay are prime examples of this model in action. As a result of the large number of vendors on these platforms, customers may choose from a large assortment of products at low prices.
Examples: Nike, Zara
Companies create brand apps to market and sell their goods to customers directly. To encourage users to buy through the app rather than in-store or on the brand’s website, these applications frequently offer special discounts and incentives. Brand applications try to foster consumer loyalty and engagement by offering a customized shopping experience and access to special offers.
Examples: ASOS, Target
Multi-brand retail apps offer products from numerous brands in a virtual shop. While these applications sell products from a single merchant, they provide more branded stuff than individual brand apps. The convenience of centralized shopping and brand diversity of this strategy cater to a wide range of consumer interests.
Examples: Instacart, Shipt
These apps, which are only for grocery shopping, put the grocery store experience right at the user’s fingertips. Grocery apps allow users to explore and buy a range of food and household goods, much as multi-brand retail applications. For the convenience of busy customers, they frequently offer useful features like digital shopping lists and alternatives for delivery or pickup.
Examples: Poshmark, OfferUp
Buy and sell apps enable peer-to-peer exchanges of pre-owned or used goods, providing a digital marketplace similar to an online thrift store. Unlike traditional marketplace apps, users can offer their goods for sale and interact with possible purchasers in a more casual setting. While encouraging sustainability and affordability, these applications cater to people who want to locate unusual second-hand gems or declutter their belongings.
Examples: Rakuten, Groupon, Capital One Shopping
Coupons, discounts, and cashback apps offer savings and benefits across retail channels. Shopping applications offer cashback, discount codes, and exclusive deals to optimize savings. Some apps allow users to shop straight through the platform and receive unique discounts and benefits.
In conclusion, the vast range of shopping applications meets modern consumers’ changing requirements and tastes by providing convenience, choice, and savings across retail categories. Online shopping apps exist for every shopper’s lifestyle and tastes, whether they’re looking for a certain brand, deals, or grocery shopping.
Among the best shopping apps available for iPhone and iOS devices, some apps stand out as the favorite brands among users.
Likewise, on the Google Play Store, several shopping apps have gained immense popularity among Android users; let’s explore the top list of shopping apps:
Let’s look into the list of shopping apps that have won the market for years and are ruling the shopping era:
Play Store:
Apple App Store:
New shopping apps will come and go, but Amazon will stay on the list of top shopping apps, and Amazon invariably claims the spotlight. As one of the largest companies globally, Amazon garners a substantial portion of its revenue through its mobile app, attracting 98 million unique users monthly. Coupled with over 200 million monthly visitors to the Amazon website, it solidifies its dominance in the e-commerce landscape.
Amazon tops the list of shopping apps worldwide by providing users access to a diverse range of brands alongside Amazon’s proprietary products.
Temu emerged as one of the prominent contenders for Amazon’s dominance, originating from China. As of now, it stands as the most favored shopping app in the United States, catering to both iPhone and Android users. Temu boasts an extensive catalog of products, offering nearly everything at competitive prices.
Introduced to the US market in late 2022, Temu operates as a subsidiary of the Chinese-owned corporation Pinduoduo. Much like Amazon, it functions as a marketplace app, facilitating transactions between shoppers and a multitude of individual sellers as well as small businesses operating on the platform.
Shein and Temu are important players in the development of the shopping app scene. It is the second most popular iPhone and Android shopping app, behind Temu.
Shein, like Temu, is a Chinese company that has gained global popularity for being among the best Marketplace Apps. Initially popular in China, Shein has moved to the US and other markets. A fashion retailer, Shein sells inexpensive designer clothes. Due to its efficient supply chain, Shein can undercut Amazon and other shopping applications.
Walmart tries to copy Amazon’s hybrid retail-market approach. Walmart has built a strong platform for third-party vendors despite its reliance on traditional commerce.
Walmart, known for its brick-and-mortar stores, now boasts a sophisticated online shopping platform. This platform is one of the top five most downloaded apps in the US on iOS and Google Play.
Walmart adapts to evolving consumer preferences and buying behaviors with a strong presence in physical and digital retail environments.
As a marketplace shopping app, Etsy emphasizes handmade, antique, and authentic goods. There are many unique and original products from third-party retailers. These vendors, mostly independent artisans and creators, make Etsy’s varied marketplace lively.
Etsy attracts buyers looking for unique, personalized things, unlike Amazon and Walmart. With a stellar rating and millions of delighted users on the Play Store and Apple App Store, Etsy has become a top destination for discovering and supporting independent artists and crafters.
The top e-commerce platform, Shopify, has a consumer-facing app called Shop. Shopify is known as the backend platform for independent online stores, but the Shop app makes it easy for shoppers to browse and buy products from multiple brands using Shopify.
The Shop app improves shopping with order updates, unique deals and discounts, and Shop Cash for future purchases. Its outstanding reviews and millions of pleased Play Store and Apple App Store customers are due to its intuitive interface and solid functionality.
Shop connects consumers to the Shopify ecosystem, allowing them to find and support independent businesses while enjoying a convenient and satisfying buying experience.
Nike’s retail app reflects its iconic status. Nike’s app is popular globally, and it has over 50 million Google Play Store downloads.
Beyond delivering the full Nike product line, the app offers special advantages and awards, entertaining content, tailored product recommendations, and innovative technologies to help users find their perfect shoes.
Nike’s app shows the brand’s focus on quality, innovation, and customer happiness in improving its devoted customers’ buying experience. The app’s high reviews and millions of delighted Play Store and Apple App Store users prove its promise was fulfilled.
Due to its fast fashion and dynamic inventory updates, Zara’s app makes shopping easy. The app is easy to use with its simplified checkout and tailored product suggestions.
The app also has a barcode scanner that lets users verify product availability in neighboring stores and arrange pickup orders. Zara’s highly-rated app, with millions of downloads on the Play Store and Apple App Store, combines style and ease.
eBay is among the best online shopping apps; it simplifies shopping! Imagine a one-stop internet marketplace for anything from antiques to cutting-edge technology. eBay brings millions of buyers and sellers together, making it a bustling shopping hub. eBay is unique in its huge selection. eBay has the latest tech, elegant clothes, and unique antiques.
eBay dominates the US for the best online shopping apps for buying second-hand items. The app offers worldwide shoppers a huge selection of brands. Additionally, eBay lets you list old products to sell them faster. You can check product feedback before buying on the app.
ASOS is a top fashion shopping app with over 850 brands and 85,000 products in apparel, beauty, shoes, and accessories.
ASOS makes shopping for stylish clothes easy. Free shipping and returns improve the app’s buying experience. ASOS also uses image recognition technology to let users easily find similar products by taking or uploading photographs.
Instacart’s app has become more well-known due to its ease of use for grocery shopping. Customers can order things from their preferred neighborhood merchants and have them delivered in an hour to their door. Users can keep shopping lists for convenient reordering and take advantage of contactless delivery options through the app.
The Poshmark app has completely changed the way that consumers purchase and sell used apparel. With the help of the app, users may engage in social commerce, follow their preferred vendors, and participate in online shopping events. Customers who are interested in buying an item can also make offers and haggle over pricing.
OfferUp is a popular marketplace for buying and selling furniture and clothing. Users can easily put their things for sale and browse a wide assortment of items with its user-friendly layout.
OfferUp’s location focus lets shoppers find exclusive deals nearby. Localized browsing simplifies and lets consumers find unique goods nearby.
OfferUp combines efficiency and accessibility with millions of downloads and great ratings on the Play Store and Apple App Store, making it a popular platform for decluttering and finding hidden gems.
Rakuten is a popular cashback shopping app with over 3,500 businesses. In addition to its wide range, the app includes a browser plugin to help users find discounts online.
Rakuten’s cashback rewards system helps customers earn rewards with every app, website, or affiliate link transaction. This encourages Rakuten shoppers by offering financial incentives.
Shoppers can receive cashback by cheque or PayPal, improving the app’s user experience and convenience. Rakuten empowers consumers to spend smarter and save more with strong Play Store and Apple App Store ratings.
Stocard is a top mobile wallet program that lets users save loyalty cards and coupons in one place.
Stocard simplifies loyalty program management and discount access, demonstrating how shopping applications may improve real retail. Stocard makes shopping easier and more fun by digitizing loyalty cards and coupons.
Stocard simplifies the retail experience and makes it easy to obtain loyalty benefits and savings, with millions of downloads and great ratings on the Play Store and Apple App Store.
Groupon is a top shopping app with over 100 million Google Play downloads. Its success is due to its ability to offer great offers from many stores, restaurants, services, and experiences.
Groupon makes it easy for users to find the greatest local discounts by filtering by area. Groupon is a great place to find customized savings on restaurants, retail, and amusement.
With millions of pleased users and good ratings in the Play Store and Apple App Store, Groupon continues to disrupt shopping by offering unbeatable deals and unique adventures.
With the Target app, you can easily shop from anywhere, even on an iPad, and browse our whole range with the convenience of online promotions and flexible ordering. Every time, place an order swiftly and securely, then pick it up from your neighborhood shop or have it delivered right to your house.
AliExpress is a great option for consumers. It’s a Chinese retail app owned by Alibaba that looks like an amalgam of eBay and Amazon. It feels a lot like Amazon when you browse around, but it’s actually just a group of small businesses selling products to you, akin to eBay. This is a great wildcard app because you might find all kinds of antique stuff here that you would not discover on other websites. But, since the majority of items take a while to ship, be ready.
Alibaba has become a leading wholesale B2B trading platform. Alibaba meets a variety of business demands with millions of products categorized for easy navigation.
Alibaba delivers products worldwide quickly, making it stand out. Alibaba’s intuitive user interface makes buying easy from across the street or around the world.
Alibaba offers an unmatched purchasing experience beyond its online shopping app. Alibaba redefines online commerce by offering everything you need in one place with ease, variety, and competitive rates.
Home Depot is a top home renovation and construction store with a wide range of items and services. Home Depot sells anything from building materials to appliances to DIYers and contractors.
With easy navigation, order monitoring, and in-store pickup, the Home Depot app makes shopping easy. The app also makes recommendations based on users’ tastes and past purchases, improving the shopping experience.
Home Depot specializes in quality, pricing, and customer service as a trusted home improvement retailer. Home Depot is still a top home improvement store with millions of delighted customers and great ratings on the Play Store and Apple App Store.
There must be something to be stated about the advantages of shopping applications, considering that nearly every significant store and brand has an app these days.
Branded online shopping apps increase sales and profit by fostering a stronger relationship between retailers and consumers.
When compared to traditional retail or mobile website shopping, the following are the advantages of shopping applications for retailers:
Using a shopping app, you may reach a targeted group of customers who are more likely to make repeat purchases and spend more money with you.
How about the idea that the only companies capable of developing branded shopping apps are the big boys, like Zara and Nike? Rethink your thoughts.
Twinr provides an easy-to-use and affordable way for all online shops to launch their own mobile app with their branding. If you already have a mobile-friendly e-commerce website (which is the norm these days), you may release Android and iOS apps in as little as two weeks.
Twinr converts websites into mobile apps by incorporating necessary mobile functionalities like push notifications, tabs, and native navigation. With Twinr’s website to app converter, you can seamlessly transition your online shop into a mobile app, enhancing user experience and expanding your reach.
All of the code is taken care of for you; all you have to do is test the application and give your approval.
Twinr is not only the easiest way to turn your e-commerce platform into apps, but it’s also the most affordable. A native app usually requires a large financial outlay, but Twinr just costs a small portion of that, and you can save tens of thousands of dollars a year on maintenance.
More than 500 companies, including well-known e-commerce sites like Tupperware Singapore Store, This N That, Nature Flora Garden Centre and many more, have already benefited from our assistance in creating their own mobile apps.
For a free consultation to discuss your options for releasing your own shopping app, get in touch with us. We’ll show a working app demo for your website and how simple it is to create an app using Twinr.
Gaurav is the founder and CEO of Twinr, a tech entrepreneur with a decade of experience and a passion for SaaS. With a Master's degree in Computer Science, he specializes in no-code development, driving innovation in the mobile app industry. When he's not busy growing the company, you'll find him writing about tech, growth, software development, e-commerce, and occasionally sneaking in a game of badminton.
It is fast, packed with features and quite easy to use. And the best part is, you don’t need to possess any coding skills to make use of it or invest a huge chunk of your time or money in website to app conversion.