Myntra has announced the company’s transition to an “app only” platform w.e.f. 15 May 2015, marking the end of desktop and browser based shopping. With mobile-based commerce emerging as the next biggest opportunity, Myntra sees this as a step towards creating a differentiated shopping experience for its consumers, which will be individualized and engaging.
The rapid expansion of smartphones from 120-140 million in 2014 to 600-700 million in 2020 will provide the base for creation of an inclusive market unprecedented in the history of fashion shopping. Mobile apps are taking utilitarian role in users’ life by being the default mode of accessing and consuming internet services. According to a recent study, 90% of smartphone users in India use apps, which is close to 158 million as of today. The country ranks second only to the US in the usage of shopping apps.
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(c) Sachin R. Saraf[/caption]
By going App Only, Myntra aims to strengthen the core value proposition of helping people “Look Good”. There has been an incredible customer response to the fashion focused content and services such as style solutions by stylists, look good tips and curated offerings backed by a wide selection of brands. The company plans to take the next step by bringing a whole new experience to its users through a rich set of features that would enable discovery and consumption of fashion products, content and services – personalized to individual’s need, taste and choice.
Speaking on this occasion, Sachin Bansal, Co-Founder & CEO, Flipkart, said, “There has been a tremendous growth of smartphones in India & it will continue to multiply over the next few years. Consumers’ are shifting fast to smart phones for commerce and information consumption in a big way. Smart phones with apps are becoming utilities that consumers access constantly for their various needs on a daily basis. We are already seeing the development of mobile-based commerce, which will be the most powerful, personalized, intuitive & inclusive market. It’s a great step that Myntra has taken towards creating a differentiated experience that will generate customer pull and make it a one stop solution for all fashion needs.”
According to Mukesh Bansal, CEO, Myntra & Head of Commerce, Flipkart, “We are immensely pleased to announce our transition to an app only platform and promise a very exciting & new age shopping experience to our customers. Fashion is a very personal experience. We believe that only mobile can truly deliver this experience as it captures user’s lifestyle and context in manner that no other medium does. Think of all the hardware and software features that one can leverage like camera, contact, location etc. to understand the user’s context and deliver the experience that is deeply personalized”,
he added.