Online design focused shopping site, Fab, has given its Android app its first update, more than a year on from the original app launch. The ecommerce site, which boasts more than nine million users, says mobile is an increasingly important component of its business — with almost half of its users using their phones to buy goods via the site, and approximately a third of traffic and sales coming from mobile.
Fab’s global mobile sales almost doubled in the first half of November compared to last year. For the year 2012, it expects 33 percent of global sales to come from mobile compared to 15 percent last year. Mobile sales growth is being driven by strong demand for holiday 2012 gifts, such as men’s hats and scarves, unique novelty items, technology products and gadgets — lifting sales 298 percent overall from a year ago.
“Nearly 50 percent of our members are now buying through their mobile phones,” says Fab CEO and Founder Jason Goldberg in a statement. “With that we challenged ourselves to think beyond the existing apps and to start from scratch to build something for the very mobile users.”
The new Android app has a focus on imagery, and brings a raft of new features — including
- A live feed of activity on Fab
- FREE SHIPPING on orders above 70 EUR/GBP
- Login with Facebook
- Browsing design by colour, price, and category
- Sharing your favourite designs on Facebook, Twitter, email, and SMS — and earn credits!
The redesign looks to have brought Fab’s Android app experience in line with the overhaul of its iOS apps last month — with a clean-looking interface, and strong, bold imagery showcasing product design.
Fab notes that just five days after the launch of its iPhone and iPad apps, mobile amounted to more than 15 percent of its sales in Europe.
The new Android app is being launched in Europe — a region where Android has a very strong foothold. Google’s OS grabbed more than 67 percent marketshare in the region during the 12 weeks ending September 30, 2012, according to figures put out by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech last month, rising from 50.9 percent in the year ago period.
We’ve asked Fab when the Android app will be rolled out to other regions including the US and will update this story with any response.
