Airship: 2023 Mobile Consumer Report

Airship has released its 2023 Mobile Consumer Report. Airship has been tracking global trends in the mobile app industry and sharing its learnings since launching its first push notification 14 years ago.

Consumers are downloading more apps than ever before, but given the current global economic climate, the top reasons people keep using apps may surprise brands. While brands may think consumers are most likely to turn to apps for deals or loyalty rewards, it’s the higher-level benefits that keep consumers buying again and again. What are those benefits? Ease and convenience. The top reasons consumers use apps are “ease of use” (35%) and “simplifying life” (31%). This preference for convenience and efficiency far outweighs other reasons for continued app use. Unsurprisingly, “saving time” (27%) ranked in the top three of the 11,000 respondents worldwide.

Apps span digital to physical experiences. Retail is often the poster child for “brick and mortar” experiences, but the survey found that every industry has the potential to blend digital and physical experiences and reap the rewards. A majority of respondents (74%) said they are likely to “use a retailer’s app” when shopping in-store. Millennials are most likely to use their smartphone for all activities in-store, while Baby Boomers are least likely. Gen X and Millennials are almost equally likely to “use a retailer’s app” when shopping in-store (76% and 78%, respectively); 71% of Gen Z and 66% of Baby Boomers are also likely to do so.

The survey found that consumers will opt in to receive notifications when they know they will receive discounts and personalized offers in return. “Discounts and loyalty rewards” (42%), “personalized offers based on browsing behavior or past purchases” (21%), and “special offers triggered by current location” (20%) were cited as the top reasons for opting in, each increasing by 7% between 2022 and 2023. The increase in transaction-motivated behavior is not surprising given recent inflation.