A Report Reveals Mobile Apps Saw Record Spending In Q1 - 4/11/20

From the Simplr studios in San Francisco, this is your weekly briefing.  

Opening

This is Today in Five with Madison Huffman, for today, Saturday, April 11th. Here are this week’s headlines.

According to a report from App Annie, consumers spent over a whopping $23.4 billion dollars via app stores in the first quarter, becoming the highest quarter ever for consumer spending in that area. The App Annie report adds further context to how consumers are adjusting their media consumption and commerce online during the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are the latest headlines.

Panera Making Dairy Products and Bread Available for Pickup

As common essentials like dairy products and bread become more difficult to find on the shelves at grocery stores, Panera is making these select items available on their menu for pickup or delivery. The food company is even offering select produce like tomatoes and avocado to its customers. Panera’s CEO said , “...it is an incredibly stressful time when it comes to putting wholesome food on the table, and we knew Panera could help...With this new service, we can help deliver good food and fresh ingredients from our pantry to yours, helping provide better access to essential items that are increasingly harder to come by.”

Amazon Prime Day Postponed

Prime Day, normally held in July, has reportedly been postponed through at least August. The e-commerce giant is also anticipating a $100 million dollar loss because it may have to deeply discount devices, according to Reuters. It’s yet another adjustment that shows how changing consumer behavior and the coronavirus pandemic are changing behavior both of shoppers and businesses.

Walmart Hired 100,000 Employees

Walmart has hired another 100,000 employees to keep up with demand during the pandemic. The company’s VP of Corporate Affairs said many of Walmart’s new employees come from hard-hit industries and are using the jobs to stay afloat until their traditional jobs come back online. The retailer has seen a surge in demand for products like hair color, beard trimmers, and sewing machines as shoppers stay indoors and make their own cloth masks.  

A Report Reveals Mobile Apps Saw Record Spending In Q1

According to a report from App Annie, consumers spent over a whopping $23.4 billion dollars via app stores in the first quarter, becoming the highest quarter ever for consumer spending in that area. Consumers spent $15 billion on iOS and $8.3 billion on Google Play. App Annie attributed the growth in app downloads and purchases to the COVID-19 outbreak, as governments impose quarantines and self-isolation, leaving consumers with more time to be on their mobile devices.

The App Annie report adds further context to how consumers are adjusting their media consumption and commerce online. Ad Colony reported that mobile gaming increased 24 percent in the last two weeks of March as people consume entertainment through their mobile phones. A similar trend has emerged in the e-commerce sector. Grocery delivery apps have seen a spike in downloads as consumers shift their ordering online.    

Closing

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Thanks for listening to this latest episode of Today In Five. Until next time.