Customers and retailers vote with their wallets – apps are winning

The reasons why Poles increasingly choose to shop via mobile apps are particularly interesting. Data from the “Omni-Commerce 2025” report shows that for 31% of them, the key motivator is concrete economic benefits – discounts, promo codes, and special offers available only in apps. Retailers can afford bigger promotions in apps because they save on user acquisition and retention costs through paid promotion.

These savings begin to outweigh classic arguments like convenience (although that remains important as well). Consumers also appreciate the faster performance of apps compared to browser versions (28%) and simplified mobile payments (21%). The sensation of greater security (20%) is not insignificant either, especially in the context of trusted payment methods and biometric authentication.

According to Tpay, shopping apps are most popular among younger people (18–34 years old), and although the smartphone is the favorite shopping device for all Poles, its dominance is particularly noticeable among women. For them, the app is not only a convenient shopping channel but often also a source of inspiration (e.g., through favorites lists, recommendations, or personalized offers). For brands, this means a completely new quality of customer contact – based on data, context, and frequency of interactions.

M-commerce represents the new definition of online shopping, completely detached from the desktop experience. Consumers choose it because they can click 'buy now' anytime, anywhere, often in an impulsive reaction to a push notification or an email about a promotion or special offer.

This is a true omnichannel sales model, connecting an ecosystem of various applications (marketplaces, store apps, email, or even price comparison tools).

M-commerce is also simpler thanks to mobile payment methods (e.g., BLIK, e-wallets) as well as responsive websites and store apps, where secure payments can be integrated in a small-screen-friendly format.

Mobile banking has also become a well-established practice; according to a ZBP report, as many as 76% of all electronic banking users are 'mobile-only'. We can confidently state that mobile shopping is not the future: it is a well-established present.

Mobile apps at the heart of the omni-commerce shopping experience

Another key takeaway from the “Omni-Commerce 2025” report is the growing interest in omni-commerce – now reaching 71%. Modern consumers want to shop online and return in-store (29%) or browse products in physical stores and purchase them online (26%). In this multi-channel purchasing process, the mobile app is present at every stage of the customer journey – its role is no longer limited to being a sales channel, but has evolved into the center of the entire shopping ecosystem.

At the same time, new product categories are gaining traction in the online shopping space. According to the Tpay report, recent years have seen a significant increase in the online purchase of shoes, medicine, dietary supplements, clothing, and electronics. In contrast, the categories that consumers still prefer to buy offline are becoming more specific and niche – such as plants and fresh groceries. This shift highlights a broader trend – Poles are digitalizing their lives more deeply each year and remain open to innovation across many aspects of everyday life.

Cost barriers are falling – it’s time to democratize m-commerce apps

For years, mobile applications were the domain of the largest retailers – but that’s changing. M-commerce apps are becoming increasingly standardized, with their development now guided by best practices shaped by organizations with deep mobile expertise. At the same time, new toolkits are emerging to accelerate the development process.

One such solution is the Atlas framework developed by Future Mind. It eliminates the need to build apps from scratch – instead, it leverages proven components, from basic buttons to advanced checkout flows. As a result, implementation time is significantly shortened, and so are development costs. This makes it possible for even mid-sized e-commerce companies to launch mobile shopping apps tailored to their specific needs.

The rising significance of mobile apps in Polish shopping habits – combined with declining development and maintenance costs – makes this the ideal moment to assess the potential return on investment in an m-commerce app. Companies that delay too long risk losing customers to competitors who have already gone mobile-first.