Adjust’s latest Shopping App Insights Report shows strong install and session growth across the region, with the Philippines posting a 16% increase in e-commerce app installs.
Southeast Asian markets were among the strongest performers worldwide for e-commerce app growth in the first half of 2026, according to the latest Shopping App Insights Report from measurement and analytics company Adjust. Singapore led all markets tracked in the study with a 67% year-on-year increase in e-commerce app installs, while Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia also posted double-digit gains.
Globally, shopping app sessions increased 15% year-on-year during the period, while e-commerce app installs rose 2%. The report benchmarks installs, engagement, retention, and acquisition costs across shopping, marketplace and classifieds, and deal discovery apps, using data from thousands of apps between January 2024 and June 2026.
Southeast Asia stands out for install growth
After Singapore’s 67% increase in e-commerce app installs, Vietnam grew 42%, Indonesia 36%, the Philippines 16%, and Malaysia 14%. The results put several Southeast Asian markets well ahead of the global 2% install growth reported for the first half of the year.
Session activity was similarly strong in some markets. Indonesia posted the highest session growth in the report at 62% year-on-year, followed closely by Singapore at 58%, suggesting that growth in the region is not limited to downloads but also extends to app usage.
“E-commerce apps had a strong first half of 2026 with major shopping events continuing to grow in scale,” said April Tayson, regional vice president for INSEA at Adjust. She added that paid acquisition is becoming a larger part of growth in some fast-expanding markets, making measurement increasingly important for identifying channels and campaigns that attract high-lifetime-value shoppers.
Philippines grows while paid acquisition eases
The Philippines recorded 16% year-on-year growth in e-commerce app installs, placing it among the Southeast Asian markets with double-digit gains. At the same time, its paid-to-organic install ratio fell 34% to 0.73, indicating lower reliance on paid acquisition than the previous year.
Vietnam showed an even sharper shift, with its paid-to-organic ratio falling 54% year-on-year to 0.89 from 1.92 in 2025. Malaysia moved in the opposite direction, reaching a ratio of 1.11, the highest of any market tracked in the report. Globally, the ratio climbed to 0.72, up 26% from 2025.
The contrasting trends suggest that shopping app growth across the region is not following a single acquisition model. Some markets rely more heavily on paid campaigns, while others generate a greater share of installs organically.
Engagement remains strong in Singapore
Singapore also ranked among the strongest markets for engagement and retention. Day 1 retention reached 16%, while users averaged 1.45 sessions on install day, with both figures trailing only Japan among the markets included in the report.
Japan posted 17% Day 1 retention and 1.51 install-day sessions per user. Singapore’s performance suggests that its rapid install growth is being accompanied by comparatively strong early engagement, rather than being driven solely by a surge in new downloads.
Marketers narrow their acquisition mix
Several Southeast Asian markets, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, also reduced the number of advertising partners they worked with during the first half of 2026. Adjust interprets this as a sign that marketers are concentrating their budgets on channels that are already producing stronger results.
That shift comes as acquisition costs and campaign efficiency become more important considerations in a more competitive shopping-app environment. Rather than spreading spend across a wider network of partners, marketers appear to be becoming more selective about which platforms and campaigns receive investment.
Measurement becomes more important as growth accelerates
Adjust’s findings point to a Southeast Asian e-commerce app market that remains highly active but increasingly complex. Strong install and session growth create opportunities for shopping platforms, but differences in paid acquisition, retention, and engagement mean that growth strategies need to be tailored by market.
For marketers, the central challenge is no longer simply generating more installs. Understanding where engaged users are coming from, how long they remain active, and which campaigns deliver stronger lifetime value is becoming more important as paid acquisition plays a larger role in some markets and recedes in others.
In Summary
Adjust’s Shopping App Insights Report: 2026 Edition shows Southeast Asia among the strongest regions globally for e-commerce app growth in the first half of 2026. Singapore led all tracked markets with 67% year-on-year install growth, followed by Vietnam at 42%, Indonesia at 36%, the Philippines at 16%, and Malaysia at 14%.
Indonesia and Singapore also led session growth at 62% and 58%, respectively. In the Philippines, the paid-to-organic install ratio declined 34% to 0.73, while Malaysia recorded the highest ratio in the report at 1.11.