Bengaluru: AppsFlyer’s latest 2025 State of eCommerce App Marketing report unveils a seismic shift in global user acquisition (UA) strategies as China-based eCommerce apps reallocate budgets from the US to Europe amid tariff uncertainty. With global UA spend reaching $4.6 billion, the report highlights how evolving macroeconomic and regulatory environments are reshaping mobile growth priorities.
“This reallocation signals a broader transformation in mobile growth, shaped by tariff uncertainty, regional platform dynamics, and increasing reliance on loyalty-focused remarketing,” said Sue Azari, Industry Lead for eCommerce at AppsFlyer. “With the possibility of regulatory or geopolitical shifts ahead, marketers must be ready to adapt quickly. Brands are now making real-time decisions about where to invest based on regulatory environments, user lifetime value, and competitive positioning across multiple continents.”
The report shows that iOS user acquisition (UA) in Germany surged 170% YoY from January to May 2025, while France saw it more than double—both markets reflecting the strategic pivot by Chinese eCommerce players. Meanwhile, the US experienced a 38% drop in iOS UA in November, further confirming the shift in investment focus.
Key Global Trends:
- Loyalty-led growth: iOS users continue to outperform with 39% higher first-time purchase rates and 68% stronger re-purchase metrics, compared to Android. India recorded a 44% YoY growth in iOS in-app purchase revenue.
- Surge in remarketing: With remarketing spend reaching $16.4B in 2024—3.5x UA budgets—brands doubled down on re-engagement, especially during peak shopping months. In November alone, remarketing spend jumped 218% in the US and 330% in Brazil.
- Platform performance: iOS retains a monetization edge with faster conversions and stronger retention, even in traditionally Android-dominant regions like India and Brazil.
- Web-to-app acceleration: Web-to-app install flows increased by 38% ahead of peak season and another 37% in spring 2025, signifying a growing push for native loyalty.
Country Highlights:
United States
- Remarketing spend hit $6.67B in 2024
- Organic installs surpassed paid installs
- Android users showed a 22% stronger conversion-to-loyalty ratio than iOS
Germany
- iOS UA soared 170% YoY, driven by tariff-redirected China-based app budgets
- Remarketing spend surged 220% YoY in Nov 2024
France
- iOS UA more than doubled
- Android IAP spend fell 30% in Nov, hit by economic strain
Brazil
- iOS UA surged 481% in Nov 2024, while Android declined 22%
- Remarketing up 330% YoY, despite a 28% drop in Android revenue
India
- iOS IAP revenue grew 44% YoY in Nov 2024
- Remarketing spend reached $447M in early 2025, with 99.7% from India-based apps
Japan & South Korea
- Japan saw 80% higher Android loyal user rates
- South Korea recorded 60% higher iOS loyalty rates and one of the widest time-to-purchase gaps
Methodology:
Based on anonymized data from 1,600 eCommerce apps (excluding marketplaces and grocery), with over 3,000 monthly installs per country, spanning 3.1 billion paid installs and 26 billion remarketing conversions from Oct 2023–May 2025.
As global uncertainties continue to evolve, AppsFlyer’s report urges marketers to shift from reactive tactics to adaptive strategies—grounded in loyalty, privacy-safe analytics, and cross-platform agility.
