Adjust’s Shopping App Insights Report: 2026 Edition finds North America and Singapore leading growth, as paid acquisition carries more of the media mix.
Leading measurement and analytics company Adjust released its Shopping App Insights Report: 2026 Edition, revealing sustained growth in e-commerce app adoption and engagement. Global shopping app sessions grew 15% year-over-year (YoY) in the first half of 2026, and e-commerce app installs rose 2% globally, with North America standing out as the strongest-performing region at +46% installs and +26% sessions. The report benchmarks installs, engagement, retention, and acquisition costs across shopping, marketplace & classifieds, and deal discovery apps, with regional and country-level breakdowns.
“E-commerce apps had a strong first half of 2026 and major shopping events keep getting bigger. But acquisition is getting more expensive and paid installs are carrying more of the growth.” — Greg Wang, Regional VP, Americas, Adjust.
“E-commerce apps had a strong first half of 2026 and major shopping events keep getting bigger. But acquisition is getting more expensive and paid installs are carrying more of the growth. The marketers who will grow most efficiently are those who can see which channels, markets, and campaigns are producing shoppers with strong LTV. Reliable measurement is what makes that possible.” — Greg Wang, Regional VP, Americas, Adjust.
Read More: SalesTechStar Interview with Matt Alexander, VP of Channel and Alliances at Synthflow AI
The Shopping App Insights Report: 2026 Edition draws on Adjust’s data from thousands of apps to help marketers benchmark performance and understand where shopper behavior is changing. The report covers shopping, marketplace & classifieds, and deal discovery apps across global, APAC, Europe, LATAM, MENA, and North America regions, spanning January 2024 through June 2026.
Read More: Intent Mesh Salestech: Connecting Buyer Signals Across Every Digital Touchpoint
Highlights include that:
- Shopping app sessions grew 15% YoY in H1 2026, with deal discovery sessions up 10%. North America led all regions with session growth of 26% and install growth of 46%, while LATAM followed with sessions up 25%. Globally, shopping apps accounted for nearly three-quarters (72%) of all e-commerce installs.
- Singapore was the fastest-growing market for e-commerce app installs, up 67% YoY. The U.S. (49%), Vietnam (42%), India (37%), and Indonesia (36%) rounded out the top performers. Indonesia and Singapore also led session growth, up 62% and 58% YoY respectively.
- The global paid/organic ratio reached 0.72 in H1 2026, up 26% from 2025 and 47% from 2024, as paid installs carry more of the growth mix across all subverticals. Shopping apps had the highest ratio at 0.76, while marketplace & classifieds saw the largest two-year increase of any subvertical, up 50% to 0.57.
- Q4 2025 showed that seasonal shopping peaks are still expanding year over year. Overall e-commerce sessions grew 7%, deal discovery installs jumped 35%, and marketplace & classifieds installs and sessions each rose 7%. November was the standout month, with sessions 9% above the annual average.
- India saw the biggest drop in cost per install (CPI) of any market, falling 57% to $0.10. North America remained the most expensive region for installs at $3.12, up 14%, while global median CPI held broadly steady at $1.08.
- Marketplace & classifieds apps led on day 1 retention at 19%, the strongest of any subvertical.
