Dive Brief:
- An iPhone app from jewelry retailer Alex and Ani reached 80,000 downloads in the first month of its release, at least five months ahead of schedule.
- Built with mobile agency Prolific, Alex and Ani’s app is approximately 70% content, and offers bits of life advice and a “personal blueprint” alongside accessory items.
- Only 21% of smartphone users have a retail app on their phones, according to research from Forrester Research and RetailMeNot, and 60% have fewer than three.
Dive Insight:
Jewelry retailer Alex & Ani has unexpectedly unlocked the secret to mobile engagement and sales with a new app that features a 70/30 content-to-commerce mix. Aiming to “empower and energize,” the app features personalized content such as advice from a Celtic “Ogham Oracle,” a style blueprint of symbols and charms, and a scroll of the latest content and products, alongside tabs labeled “shop” and “inspiration."
Not only has the app met six-month expectations for downloads with 80,000 in the first three weeks, 30% of those who download it use the app at least once a week thanks to frequent updates, exclusives, and push notifications. Only 21% of smartphone users have a retail app on their phones, according to research from Forrester Research and online couponing platform RetailMeNot, but that’s where a brand’s most engaged customers live.
Alex and Ani shoppers were trending mobile, with almost two-thirds (65%) of shoppers arriving at the site via the mobile Web or the new app. The app already accounts for about 5% of the company’s $350 million in annual revenues after just three weeks. Over time, the app will learn customer preferences to further personalize content and product recommendations—and likely continue to build a legion of Alex & Ani ambassadors.
