The 11 best mobile ecommerce apps
Mobile commerce is growing every year as more and more customers shop exclusively on their phones. An effective mobile app can go a long way toward offering a customizable experience that shoppers can’t get anywhere else.
Having a strong mobile component is increasingly important to modern ecommerce — and almost expected by customers. But a quick search of any app store shows just how difficult it can be to really stand out from all the competition.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the 11 best mobile ecommerce apps available today, highlighting the capabilities and key features of each, to help you find some inspiration for your business.
11 best examples of mobile ecommerce apps
All of the ecommerce apps on our list are expertly designed, have an intuitive interface for their users, and provide a frictionless sales experience. Let’s take a closer look at which apps made the cut and see what they have to offer consumers.
1. Amazon
Amazon is the largest retailer in the world, and it offers one of the best mobile ecommerce apps. The app allows you to easily search for products by category, brand, or name and effortlessly order just about anything you can think of — from dietary supplements to vehicle parts.
Key features
Amazon’s mobile ecommerce app offers just about everything you need. It’s fast, easy to use, and secure. It provides users with real-time tracking, delivery notifications, live chat, face ID login, and more.
You can use voice search to explore offerings, compare similar items, see 360-degree product views, create lists, add items to your cart, and of course, make purchases. Amazon also makes returning products and leaving reviews simple and straightforward. The Amazon mobile app is the embodiment of a frictionless sales experience, and the ecommerce behemoth’s sales figures show it.
2. Sephora
Sephora is a large cosmetics retailer that offers both ecommerce and brick-and-mortar sales. The company’s mobile app is aesthetically pleasing, smooth, and crisp. The brand has even encouraged widespread adoption of the app by offering users access to exclusive sales specials.
Key features
Features of the Sephora app include seamless loyalty program integration and personalized recommendations, as well as the ability to save a list of products, check in-store stock, and scan products for search and review. It also grants users early and exclusive access to many products.
The Virtual Artist feature lets you experience an augmented reality depiction of beauty products applied to your face. Eligible customers can get same-day delivery on select cosmetic products by ordering through the app. You can also make orders via the app and opt for curbside or in-store pickup.
3. eBay
A multinational ecommerce company that facilitates both peer-to-peer and business-to-consumer transactions, eBay lets users buy, sell, or window shop using the mobile app. One of the app’s top features is its three-step “Browse, Choose, Buy” shopping experience, but it has many other capabilities too.
Key features
The eBay mobile app sends you price notifications so that you can take advantage of emerging sales opportunities and easily keep up with products you’re bidding on in auction. It also sends out daily deal alerts, special offers, shipping updates, and more. Sellers can opt in for bid alerts and other notifications.
4. Warby Parker
Warby Parker is a popular ecommerce retailer of prescription glasses. Its mobile app lets you browse sunglasses and eyeglasses and order up to five pairs at a time to try on at home for free. After testing out each pair of frames, you can return the ones you don’t like and keep your favorites.
Key features
From the mobile app, you can easily shop for eyewear solutions by type, selecting from eyeglasses, contacts, and sunglasses. The app also has a Virtual Try-On tool so that you can get a glimpse of the glasses on your face before placing an order, which increases customer confidence and makes the shopping experience easier.
The app allows you to sort frames based on shape, color, width, and other stylistic elements, and it also includes Apple Pay integration and has a robust notification system. The Warby Parker app was so successful it was named one of Apple’s 10 best apps in 2016.
5. Groupon
The unique Groupon ecommerce model allows you to purchase discounts or coupons for thousands of activities, products, and services that interest you. The mobile app allows you to search for and purchase coupons on the go — primarily for restaurants and experiences. It also allows you to display digital coupons to vendors to access their discounts.
Key features
The Groupon app is a bit simpler to use than others, offering an intuitive, user-friendly experience that highlights deals near you. It features Apple pay integration and allows you to redeem all deals through the app instead of having to print out a voucher.
The app also sends out timed promo codes, push notifications, and discount alerts based on location — as well as browsing history and past purchases — so you never miss a deal.
6. H&M
H&M is a clothing company that connects you with the latest in fashion at an affordable price. You can use the mobile app to browse and buy individual pieces of clothing or whole outfits.
Key features
The H&M app offers discounts, notifications, an easy-to-follow product menu, and an in-app store finder. One cool feature for omnichannel shoppers is the ability to scan an in-store item and immediately purchase it online, so you can purchase something you like even if the location doesn’t have it in a certain size. You can also use Visual Search, which scans photos and recommends outfits.
7. Walmart
Walmart is one of the largest big-box retailers in the world and sells just about everything, including groceries, furniture, and household goods. The mobile app allows you to schedule grocery pickups, arrange furniture deliveries, browse products, and confirm the in-store availability of specific items.
Key features
The Walmart app offers a quick, responsive shopping experience with one cart that allows you to purchase everything you need — all at once. You can create custom orders, scan barcodes to find prices, and choose to pick up your items, have them delivered, or arrange shipping via UPS or FedEx. You can track the status of pending deliveries, confirm item availability, and reorder previous grocery lists.
The app also features weekly deals and push notifications for sales. In-store shoppers benefit from an easily accessible map of their store’s layout.
8. Nike
Nike is a well-known footwear and athletic apparel company, but it’s also a brand that greatly values its customer experience. You can shop for Nike products, read stories, and receive training tips and style advice on the mobile app.
Key features
The Nike app has a sleek and easy-to-use interface that helps you easily find the products you want. It provides daily recommendations tailored to your interests, and members can receive alerts and exclusive offers through the built-in rewards program, as well as free shipping on orders.
The mobile app also improves the in-store experience, letting you check inventory availability and place reservations for pickup. Users can enhance their athletic routines by reading stories, receiving training tips, and accessing style advice from Nike experts and coaches, making the app more than just a tool for buying products.
9. Starbucks
Starbucks is the most well-known coffee shop corporation in the world. Over the years, the company has developed a loyal following thanks to its product offerings, consistency, and omnipresence. Its mobile app allows customers to purchase drinks and food for pickup.
Key features
The app is intuitive and offers a simple menu system that provides you with all the info you need. While not as multi-use as some mobile apps, it keeps track of your gift card or store balance, as well as order ahead and pay via the app or at the store when you pick up.
The app also has a star-based rewards system built around Starbucks loyalty that leverages the concept of gamification. The rewards program provides an easy way to earn, monitor, and redeem stars for free items and makes ordering items and accumulating stars fun, which incentivizes customers to buy more.
10. ASOS
ASOS is a fashion retailer that offers a wide array of clothing options and makes the most of its sales through mobile ecommerce. Customers can shop more than 850 different brands. You can purchase items whenever you want at the touch of a button.
Key features
The ASOS app is home to more than 85,000 products. It offers a fast and simple storefront with Apple Pay, sale alerts, videos of items being worn, and 360-degree product views. Customers enjoy free shipping and returns, personalized clothing recommendations, and a seamless shopping experience.
You can easily search for clothing or upload a photo to receive recommendations from the unique Style Match feature. This makes it easy to find exactly the style you’re looking for, no matter the occasion or season.
11. JOANN
JOANN is a craft and fabric company that sells everything from pre-cut fabric to decor and much more. With the app, customers can browse supplies, check in-store availability of items, view DIY projects completed by other users, and make purchases.
Key features
The JOANN app offers one of the best omnichannel experiences on this list, providing numerous in-store and online coupons, allowing for product barcode scanning, and working as a loyalty card that can be scanned at checkout for savings and reward points. It also delivers an easy-to-use mobile experience with organized product categories, as well as shipping options and in-store pickup.
Like Nike, JOANN also offers you a source of inspiration — except instead of carefully curated professional content, it’s DIY content uploaded by fellow app users. You can not only browse but share a story with fellow users or even create your own how-to project to share with the “handmade community.”
Get started with mobile ecommerce
If you want to create a mobile ecommerce experience that customers will love, you should follow the examples of these 11 apps. They each provide an intuitive user interface and frictionless purchasing options.
The next step is finding a great ecommerce solution that can help you deliver an immersive mobile shopping experience. You need a solution that can enable an app-like experience even if you don’t want to develop your own app — one that offers mobile analytics that are vital to staying on top of your ecommerce success, is scalable with top-notch security, and can reach shoppers wherever they are, across different devices, marketplaces, and customer journeys.
Adobe Commerce is the world’s leading digital commerce solution for merchants and brands. With Commerce, you can build engaging shopping experiences for every type of customer. More than a flexible shopping cart system, it’s the building block for business growth.
Watch the Adobe Commerce overview video to learn more or request a demo today.