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Shoppers are making more and more purchases from smartphones - both the share and total volume of such sales are growing.

The mobile app growth platform, Mobmio, estimates that in the first half of 2024, the number of mobile purchases will grow by more than 15% globally and by more than 20% in MENA.

Brands are rapidly adapting to the trend and looking to maximize their mobile sales - ecommerce is becoming increasingly demanding of automation and cutting-edge tech solutions in the mobile field.

Mobmio's experts analyzed more than 26 million mobile orders globally, including over 1.5 million in the MENA region. The data sheds light on consumer behaviors and highlights which strategies help brands optimize their mobile sales channels.

Calculations show that not only are the number of smartphone orders growing, but also the amount people are willing to spend.

The global AOV of mobile ordering has risen from $25.5 to $28.7 this year. The check in MENA countries has also risen from $25 to $31.1. Notably, UAE recorded the highest AOV of mobile sales in the world at $59. It is closely followed by Saudi Arabia with an average order value of $49.

What Products Mobile Shoppers are hunting for

The most popular product category ordered through smartphones by MENA shoppers was Electronics. It accounted for more than 22% of mobile sales in 2024. The popularity of the category continues to grow considering it accounted for 19% of purchases in 2023. Consumer Electronic (+18% YoY) and Phones & Telecommunications (+16%) subcategories grew the most this year.

Fashion is next in line with 17.8% of orders, but its position in mobile sales in 2024 declined - in 1H 2023, clothing, footwear and accessories accounted for more than 22.7% of mobile sales.

Next in popularity are auto goods (8.4% of total orders), tools (6.5%), toys and hobby goods (6.2%), and beauty and health products (5.3%). MENA shoppers also like to order children's goods (4.6%) and sporting goods (4%) from their cell phones.

Mobile sales of tools (+25%), sporting goods (+22%) and home goods (+21%) grew the most in the first half of 2024.

Technology Challenges on the Way to Further Growth

While smartphones are conquering ecommerce - brands are looking to further enhance their effectiveness with this sales channel. Companies betting on mobile traffic have to study statistics from multiple sources - ad networks and trackers. This data is often incomplete and makes reconciliation difficult. Teams of affiliate services like Mobmio also meet the same challenge.

Managers have to spend more than a half of their time manually bringing all these disparate pieces of data together so that the brand can get a more clear tracking picture. And even after these efforts, it is often impossible to achieve 100% transparency and accuracy of stats, because these services and platforms provide already processed, secondary data, and may miss some of the indicators.

Brands are using two main methods to address this challenge: increasing the spend on staff and additional contractors, or automation. For instance, Mobmio invested more than $500,000 in 2024 in the launch of a new platform that will be able to solve those difficulties.

At the core of Mobmio’s new platform is its ability to issue direct MMP (Mobile Measurement Partner) links, which reduces traffic loss and eliminates unnecessary redirects. This feature boosts earnings and automates tasks related to CAPs (Cost-per-Action Programs), allowing brands to maximize mobile traffic more efficiently.

The platform integrates with leading mobile trackers such as Appsflyer, with support for Adjust, Impact, Branch, and custom solutions coming soon. This ensures that brands have access to reliable, actionable insights to guide their strategies.

Mobile Publishers' Profits are on the Rise

Despite all the challenges of the new trend, the sales and cash flow growth in this industry is too good to be overlooked. Publishers leverage their mobile traffic to skim all the cream off brand partnerships. Mobmio estimates that MENA's mobile publishers' profits are up 25% this year. Global partner revenues are growing at a similar rate.

Brands are also increasingly turning to partnerships with mobile traffic owners. The number of MENA companies that partner with mobile apps, smartphone manufacturers and other publishers through partner networks grew by more than 10% in 2024 and are expected to grow in 2025.