Russians have a more positive attitude towards using retailers’ apps for shopping, which is a great opportunity for retailers to foster loyalty.
Russian Internet users tend to make less frequent use of both apps and mobile browsers for shopping than the global average. Another divergence from the global average is Russian shoppers’ clear preference for mobile browsers over apps. This is probably a result of the fact that many Russian retailers do not have dedicated apps for shopping. But, of those that do use apps for shopping, 51% state convenience as the main reason for doing so, which differs significantly from the global average, among which mobile browsers were seen as more convenient. Thus, it seems that while Russian shoppers currently prefer mobile browsers over apps, they obviously
do not see the main obstacles usually noted by global peers regarding retailers’ apps (i.e. the need to download and above all the inability to compare offerings) as an inconvenience. This may mean that retailers should not face much difficulty in getting customers to use their apps. Such apps can serve as a strong loyalty-building tool because once a customer starts using a retailer’s app for shopping, he or she can get personalized offers and tailored communications, and would have less enticement to compare such offers with others. Not surprisingly, mobile shopping is more widespread in Moscow than in some Russian regions. We can expect this to change, however, with better mobile Internet penetration, which should reach 68% by 2017.
Figure 19: Russian consumers clearly prefer mobile browsers over apps for mobile shopping
Figure 20: Mobile shopping is more widespread in Moscow than in some Russian regions
Q: How often do you use either an app or mobile browser on your mobile/smartphone for shopping?
Q: How often do you use either an app or mobile browser on your mobile/smartphone for shopping?
Russia
Never
11% 11%
Daily
Siberian Federal District
16% 19%
Weekly
24%
Monthly
23% 25%
A few times a year
7% 9%
Once a year
Never
5% App
PwC
19%
7%
0%
36
28%
10%
15%
Mobile browser
20%
25%
30%
34%
Northwestern Federal District (except St Petersburg)
32% 14%
Moscow 0%
20%
40%