Singapore leads Southeast Asia shopping app growth

Adjust has published a report showing that Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam were among the fastest-growing shopping app markets in the first half of 2026. Singapore ranked first among all tracked markets for install growth.

Globally, shopping app sessions rose 15% year on year in the first half, while eCommerce app installs increased 2%. Against that backdrop, Singapore recorded a 67% rise in eCommerce app installs, followed by Vietnam at 42% and Indonesia at 36%.

The figures add to evidence that Southeast Asia is becoming a more important mobile commerce market as consumer activity shifts further toward apps. Other regional markets also posted double-digit install growth, including the Philippines at 16% and Malaysia at 14%.

Usage growth was also strong. Indonesia posted the fastest session growth of any market in the report at 62%, followed by Singapore at 58%.

Acquisition trends

Paid acquisition is taking a larger share of shopping app growth as marketers face higher user acquisition costs. Globally, the paid-to-organic install ratio reached 0.72 in the first half of 2026, up 26% from 2025.

Malaysia recorded the highest paid-to-organic install ratio among all tracked markets at 1.11, suggesting heavier reliance on paid acquisition than elsewhere in the dataset. Vietnam and the Philippines moved in the opposite direction. Vietnam's ratio fell 54% year on year to 0.89 from 1.92 in 2025, while the Philippines' declined 34% to 0.73.

The regional picture points to diverging strategies as app operators balance marketing costs against user growth. In some markets, advertisers are leaning more heavily on paid channels, while others appear to be reducing their reliance on them.

Engagement data

Singapore also ranked near the top for engagement and retention. It posted day-one retention of 16% and 1.45 sessions per user on the day of install, second only to Japan, which recorded 17% retention and 1.51 sessions.

The report covers shopping, marketplace, classifieds and deal discovery apps, drawing on data from thousands of apps across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and North America. The period spans January 2024 to June 2026.

Several Southeast Asian markets reduced the number of advertising partners they used in the first half of 2026, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. That suggests marketers are narrowing spending toward channels they consider more effective.

The shift could reflect pressure on digital advertising returns as acquisition costs rise. Fewer partner relationships may also indicate closer scrutiny of campaign performance and a preference for concentrating budgets on established traffic sources.

April Tayson, Regional Vice President, INSEA, Adjust, commented on the findings.

"E-commerce apps had a strong first half of 2026 with major shopping events continuing to grow in scale. However, user acquisition is becoming more costly and paid installs are driving a larger share of growth, particularly in fast-growing markets like Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The marketers best positioned to grow efficiently will be those with clear visibility into which channels, markets, and campaigns are bringing in high-lifetime-value shoppers. Reliable measurement is key to making that possible," said Tayson.

The results suggest growth in Southeast Asia is not following a single regional pattern. Singapore stands out for both installs and engagement, Indonesia for session growth, and Malaysia for its reliance on paid acquisition.

Vietnam, meanwhile, combines strong install growth with a sharp reduction in reliance on paid installs, making it one of the more distinct cases in the dataset. The Philippines also posted continued growth while lowering its paid-to-organic ratio.

For app marketers, the data highlights a region where user demand remains strong but the economics of growth are changing. Installs are continuing to rise in several Southeast Asian markets even as advertising strategies become more selective and retention metrics take on greater importance.

The report is based on Adjust data from thousands of apps and is intended to benchmark installs, engagement, retention and acquisition costs across the shopping app sector.