Customer acquisition costs (CAC) is up 60% over the past five years. Loyalty is harder than ever. And in today’s hyper-competitive market, only brands that personalize at scale will thrive. 

According to Forbes, 81% of today’s customers prefer personalized experiences. Enterprise marketers know that exceeding these expectations isn’t optional—it’s how brands stay top of mind, retain high-value customers, and avoid losing them to better-equipped competitors.

But here’s the catch: delivering true personalization at scale is expensive—especially without the right tools. That’s why more enterprise brands are investing in mobile apps as a smarter, more efficient way to engage customers, reduce CAC, and increase retention.

For large-scale ecommerce companies, mobile apps are proving to be the most scalable and cost-effective channel for delivering seamless, branded, and personalized customer experiences. With low total cost of ownership (TCO), effortless integration into existing tech stacks, and powerful retention tools like push notifications and in-app exclusives, apps are helping brands boost CVR, drive LTV, and turn shoppers into loyal superfans.

TL;DR: In this article, we break down 11 core challenges enterprise brands face in 2025 — and how mobile apps help solve each. From rising CAC and retention gaps to omnichannel inconsistencies and operational inefficiencies, this is your playbook for building loyalty and scaling CX through mobile.

Problem #1: Online Platforms Are Too Complex and Costly to Scale

Solution: Mobile apps boost revenue and engagement at scale.

Disconnected tools and systems create inefficiencies, slow execution, and hinder customer insights and campaign effectiveness. Factor in ever-rising customer acquisition costs, and it’s no surprise that marketing execs are looking for more economical ways to enhance reach, improve retention, and boost revenue at scale.

Low-lift mobile apps, in particular, fit this bill. They simplify operations and reduce costs by integrating with existing systems already part of a business’s workflow (like seamlessly syncing to your Shopify backend). Additionally, integrations that merchants already have in their tech stack can be leveraged within the mobile app immediately, creating consistent CX without introducing new, time-consuming tech that must be managed by the brand’s busy marketing team. 

Fashion brand Aviator Nation, for example, leans on repeat customers for 50% of its revenue. To drive this level of retention and loyalty, the brand relies on its mobile app for push notifications, new product launches, and exclusive sales.. 

The strategy works: Aviator Nation’s app has a 23% higher CVR than its website and a 35% higher revenue per session. 

To scale retention without draining resources, Aviator Nation needed a solution their existing team could manage—without the heavy engineering lift of a custom-built app. Rather than endure the time, cost, and complexity of building from scratch, they chose a mobile app platform that launched in weeks and synced seamlessly with their Shopify store and key tech stack integrations like Yotpo, Rebuy, and Klaviyo. The result? An efficient, high-performing app that delivered immediate results without overwhelming internal teams.

Key takeaway: Forget complicated, custom-engineered apps. Tapcart-like mobile apps plug directly into your Shopify store and existing tools, reducing dev lift while increasing CVR, retention, and revenue.

This keeps development and maintenance costs—and stress levels—low without sacrificing any revenue-generating and loyalty-boosting benefits of a mobile app, including adding custom blocks as needed.

Problem #2: CAC costs are soaring, but you still need to grow.

Solution: Mobile apps save money on third-party ad spend.

New customer acquisition is non-negotiable for enterprise brands—but it’s getting more expensive by the day.  By 2026, digital advertising spending is estimated to hit $836 billion, and brands are battling to break through the noise across paid search and social.

To combat this, top-performing brands are turning to mobile apps to offset high CAC by boosting customer lifetime value (CLV). Instead of relying solely on high-cost third-party ads, mobile apps offer a more efficient, owned platform to nurture customers for life—without repeated spend.

It’s a smart play: the top 10% of customers typically spend 3x more than the average shopper. With the right app strategy, brands can convert one-time buyers into repeat purchasers through personalized push notifications and exclusive in-app offers—all without paying another dime to Meta or Google. 

Keep in mind, too, that your brand's best customers are truly different from the rest. In fact, 10% of a brand’s customers usually spend 3x more than the average customer. 

Fashion powerhouse Oh Polly nails this. Post-purchase, the brand immediately encourages app downloads with discount incentives. From there, users are retained and upsold via push notifications and app-only drops. The results speak volumes: Oh Polly’s app shoppers spend 18.5% more than web users, and the brand has sent over 400M push notifications—free messages that would have cost millions through SMS or ads.

Key Takeaway: A mobile app frees your budget from constant ad spend. By converting new buyers into loyal app customers, brands increase LTV and unlock long-term growth without breaking the bank.

Problem #3: Customer Expectations Are Evolving Faster Than Your Tech Stack .

Solution: Mobile apps make real-time personalization easy, scalable, and cost-effective.

According to Salesforce, about 70% of consumers expect better personalization as technology improves, as they spend more, share more data, and interact across multiple channels. 

So, as businesses grow and consumer expectations evolve, marketers need to rapidly deploy new features and services to keep shoppers happy and spending. 

The challenge? Traditional, custom-built apps often can’t keep pace. They require costly on-staff or contracted engineers to push updates, resolve bugs, and integrate new tools—slowing down time to value and draining internal resources. 

Mobile apps built for agility solve this. They’re designed to update in minutes, not weeks, and integrate seamlessly with tools that support ever-evolving customer needs—like loyalty programs, subscriptions, and AI-powered product recommendations.

Take the Rebuy x Tapcart integration, for example. It uses AI to analyze app behavior and dynamically recommend relevant products via carousels—both in-app and at checkout. For the customer, this feels like magic. For the brand, it’s higher AOV with zero manual lift. See how the personalization integration works.

Aviator Nation is proof: with Rebuy active in their app, AOV is 15% higher.

Key Takeaway: The best mobile apps evolve with your customers. Integrations like Rebuy let brands scale personalization and boost revenue—without adding engineering work or marketing headcount.

Problem #4: Campaigns Take Too Long and Drain Resources.

Solution: Mobile apps streamline launches with plug-and-play speed and personalization.

When it takes weeks to execute a campaign, your marketing loses agility—and your team loses momentum. At first glance, adding a mobile app may seem like it adds complexity. But with the right setup, it actually simplifies everything.

Mobile apps that integrate directly with Shopify are a marketer’s secret weapon. They’re plug-and-play and allow marketers to streamline marketing operations: upload assets, drag in products, segment your audience, and deploy a campaign in minutes—no dev team or extra headcount required.

Campaigns can be segmented, personalized, and times to perfection using real-time data. The result? More precision, less guesswork, and campaigns that convert fast. These tools also make it easy to A/B test or soft launch offers without risking major budget. 

A nimble app also allows for “testing” without huge budget implications.

Just ask BYLT. The brand ran a flash sale targeting its top 10% of customers exclusively via app 24 hours early. The result? A 900% spike in in-app orders and a 500% increase in app installs, including 7,000 new installs in a single day. The sale did so well, BYLT extended the app-exclusive offer and delayed the web launch.

Key takeaway: With a mobile app, your team can launch personalized, high-converting campaigns in minutes—not weeks—without additional resources or tech debt.

Problem #5: Inconsistent Experiences Across Channels Hurt Trust and Retention. 

Solution: Mobile apps unify your brand presence for seamless omnichannel CX.

Customers don’t just want personalized experiences—they expect them to be consistent across every channel. In fact, 87% of retailers say omnichannel is critical to success, and 67% of customers have switched brands due to poor experiences. 

For marketers, the challenge is stitching together every touchpoint—email, site, social, and content—without blowing the budget. That’s where mobile apps shine. When built to mirror a Shopify store and integrated with tools like Klaviyo, for a cohesive, loyalty-boosting experience.

Naked Harvest does this exceptionally well. Their mobile app brings together education, community, and shopping in one cohesive space. It’s not just a storefront—it’s the brand, in your pocket.

The results are clear: 33% of Naked Harvest’s revenue comes from the app. Their CVR is 142% higher than web, and AOV is $25 higher.

Key takeaway: Consistency builds trust—and trust builds loyalty. A well-integrated mobile app helps enterprise brands deliver a seamless experience across platforms, driving deeper engagement and long-term retention.

Problem #6: Third-Party Dependence Is Costly and Risky

Solution: Mobile apps are owned, direct marketing channels that unlock free, powerful push notifications — even as SMS and email falter.

Brands spend millions trying to re-engage customers through third-party platforms—only to watch ROI shrink and policies shift. Mobile apps flip that equation. As owned, direct marketing channels, apps let you control communication, reduce cost, and deepen loyalty—without relying on unpredictable algorithms or rising ad prices.

This is mainly because retention costs are completely scalable once the mobile app is installed. Instead of paying for every text message sent or Meta ad placed, push notifications are always free. And while push notifications feel organic and welcomed on a customer’s home screen, SMS and email have become notably “spammier” in recent years.

When Apple released iOS16, SMS marketing became even less of a guarantee, with open rates of text messages expected to drop to between 30 and 40%. Email also has an ecommerce open rate of just under 40%. On the other hand, open rates for push notifications exceed 90%.

Beyond push, an app is a native place to share exclusive content, host community features, and amplify your brand’s story. It’s a destination that feels even more intimate, branded, and community-focused. 

That’s how BÉIS, the travel goods brand, created a VIP content hub inside its app—with behind-the-scenes drops, curated product launches, and elevated community moments. It not only uses push notifications for new releases but for exclusive content customers won’t find anywhere else. 

The results: a 67% higher CVR in the app vs. mobile web, and a 19% higher AOV. Even if customers only purchase occasionally, they stay connected to the brand through an experience that feels personal—not like a paid retargeting ad.

Key takeaway: Mobile apps help brands break free from third-party dependency. They turn communication into a cost-free retention engine that boosts LTV through owned, engaging, and scalable experiences. Browse Tapcart Customers’ Top-Performing Push Notifications

Problem #7: Limited Data and Resources Block Personalization at Scale

Solution: Mobile apps unlock rich analytics and low-lift personalization.

Personalization works. According to a report from McKinsey, it can reduce customer acquisition costs by up to 50%, boost revenues from between 5 to 15%, and improve marketing ROI by 10 to 30%. But many brands struggle to deliver on that promise due to data gaps and technical constraints.

That’s where mobile apps shine. They gather first-party data from real customer interactions—product views, purchase history, preferences—and turn that into action. The best apps use this data to personalize everything from product recommendations to messaging timing and content.

With integrations like Rebuy, apps automatically tailor product suggestions based on customer behavior. Push notifications become hyper-relevant. Customers get a curated, VIP-like experience. Meanwhile, marketers gain rich analytics and clear cohorts—so they can reward high-LTV shoppers with early access or personalized offers.

Key takeaway: Mobile apps deliver the first-party data and automated personalization today’s brands need. The result? Better CX, stronger loyalty, and higher LTV—all without adding technical overhead.

Problem #8: Delayed reactions to market trends due to slow data processing.

Solution: Mobile apps enable real-time decision-making.

With first-party data and analytics at your fingertips, you can make real-time business decisions and optimize your marketing strategy and workflow. In other words, mobile apps allow marketers to be agile with campaigns and communication. 

Aviator Nation rapidly manages its app within its existing Shopify store workflow, where its employees are already active. Moreover, the brand can be truly flexible with marketing launches, deciding at night to unleash a huge promotion and, within twenty minutes, having the launch ready to release (and matching the brand’s aesthetic perfectly) the following morning.

The company relies on its app to deploy last-minute campaigns and double down on “go-with-what’s-workin strategies that boost revenue, drive downloads, and more. 

Key takeaway: With a mobile app, brands can tailor experiences based on real-time customer behavior, from extending sales to dropping a last-minute promo code to boost sales on a down day. 

Problem #8: Low Engagement Drives High Churn and CAC Dependency

Solution: Mobile apps keep customers active, loyal, and spending longer.

With an average ecommerce churn rate hovering around 77%, brands can’t afford to lose the customers they’ve already paid to acquire. Mobile apps reduce that risk by keeping customers engaged through loyalty programs, app-exclusive offers, and high-value, low-cost touchpoints like push notifications.‍

Oh Polly is a prime example. The fashion brand launches every collection, sale, and promo on its app at least an hour—sometimes 24 hours—before releasing it anywhere else. App customers often get early access, bonus discounts, and stackable deals that aren’t available on other channels.

To maximize reach, the brand promotes these exclusives via email, paid media, and influencers—creating a compelling incentive to download the app. Once inside, customers are nurtured with personalized engagement that drives repeat purchases.

Key takeaway: Mobile apps reduce churn by offering VIP-level experiences that keep customers coming back. With loyalty features, targeted content, and exclusive access, apps drive long-term engagement—and long-term revenue.

Problem #9: Competing with Bigger Budgets Requires Creative and Smart Strategies.

Solution: Mobile apps help brands differentiate and win in a $6.3 trillion industry.

With ecommerce projected to reach $6.3 trillion this year, the space is more competitive than ever. But here’s the edge: 64% of US consumers prefer using a retail app over a mobile website. And consumers spend 7x more time in apps than on mobile browsers. That’s a clear signal—apps are where the attention is and a smart strategy for brands to stand out.

For growing brands, a polished, personalized mobile app becomes a strategic weapon. It gives you direct access to customers, lets you stand out through exclusivity and experience, and takes up prime real estate on their phones—all without outspending Goliath competitors.

Dose of Colors saw a mobile app as an opportunity to outsmart the competition, not outspend them. Now, nearly 25% of the customer base uses the app, which is the brand’s second-highest revenue channel. What’s more, customers spend 27% more on the app than the website.

Key takeaway: Mobile apps give brands a cost-effective edge. With push notifications, app exclusives, and high-value real estate on customers' home screens, a mobile app engages customers with personalized CX without draining budgets, especially when competition is steep, and churn rates are high. 

Problem #10: Cart Abandonment on Web Kills Conversions. 

Solution: Mobile apps simplify checkout and dramatically boost CVR.

Cart abandonment remains one of the biggest conversion killers in ecommerce—especially on mobile web. But data from 300 Shopify Plus x Tapcart brands shows that apps outperform mobile sites by a wide margin, with a 63% higher conversion rate.

Why? Because apps eliminate friction at checkout. With features like one-tap checkout, saved payment and shipping details, and integrated loyalty rewards, customers can complete purchases in seconds. There’s no digging for credit cards or logging in—just a seamless, distraction-free path to purchase.

The difference is measurable. According to Tapcart’s data on cart abandonment, mobile apps not only reduce drop-off but also lift order volume. Customers are already logged in, their preferences are saved, and the path to purchase is optimized—resulting in faster checkouts and higher AOV.

Pixi Beauty is a perfect example. To reduce friction during high-volume sales, they implemented one-tap checkout in their mobile app. With pre-filled checkout fields and integrated loyalty points, Pixi saw a 34% increase in conversion rate and a 19% lift in revenue per session compared to mobile web.

But Pixi didn’t stop at checkout simplification—they also tackled return intent. Using in-app popups, Pixi re-engages returning shoppers by displaying cart contents when users reopen the app. It’s a subtle reminder that feels helpful, not pushy. If items are low in stock, the popup includes inventory warnings to increase urgency. For those who haven’t returned on their own, Pixi sends timely push notifications to nudge them back toward completing their purchase.

Key takeaway: Mobile apps convert better because they remove every ounce of friction. With one-tap checkout, in-app cart reminders, and loyalty integration, brands like Pixi turn more browsers into buyers—and dramatically reduce abandonment.

Why Mobile Apps Are the New Growth Engine for Enterprise Brands

Personalization isn’t just a competitive edge—it’s the new battleground for retention, loyalty, and lifetime value. As customer expectations for seamless, high-touch experiences rise, mobile apps offer the most effective, scalable, and budget-friendly way to deliver.

More enterprise brands are recognizing that owned mobile apps aren’t a nice-to-have—they’re a strategic necessity. They reduce CAC, increase retention, and give marketers the tools to launch, test, and optimize without waiting on dev cycles or draining resources.

With a mobile app that syncs directly with your Shopify storefront, it becomes easier to:

• Launch campaigns in minutes—not weeks
• Personalize CX without adding engineering overhead
• Cut CAC through free, high-converting push notifications
• Turn one-time shoppers into high-LTV app superfans
• Boost revenue and engagement at scale
• Save on third-party ad spend
• Keep up with evolving customer expectations
• Rapidly deploy high-impact, personalized promotions
• Deliver seamless omnichannel consistency
• Use real-time data to enhance targeting and retention
• Reduce churn with exclusive, app-first experiences
• Stand out in a saturated $6.3 trillion ecommerce market
• Minimize cart abandonment with frictionless checkout

Ready to unlock retention and growth through mobile? Dive into our Ultimate App Marketing Guide