Matalan has reported a 28 per cent jump in app orders as its new mobile platform attracts 1.76 million downloads in just two months.
It said orders through its app rose 20 per cent year on year in August and 28 per cent in September, following the launch of its first fully native platform.
Conversion has reached 4.4 per cent, ahead of its 3.4 per cent target, while customers are spending an average of 14 per cent more per order than those shopping through Matalan’s website.
Monthly active users have also increased 10 per cent month on month since the August launch.
Online sales grew 10 per cent in its last financial year, helping the retailer stabilise trading as it continued to overhaul its stores and product offering.
Matalan narrowed its pre-tax loss to £54.7 million in the year to February, while adjusted EBITDA rose 24 per cent to £69.4 million.
The new app, developed with mobile technology specialist Apadmi, replaces Matalan’s previous platform and brings its loyalty programme, Matalan Me, into a single shopping experience.
It includes improved search, more detailed product information and faster checkout through Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Customers can also scan product barcodes in stores to check availability, reviews and product details, linking the retailer’s physical estate more closely with its online offering.
Matalan digital director Dre Nicolaides said the early figures showed customers were doing more than simply downloading the app.
“What’s particularly encouraging about the response to our new app is that customers aren’t just downloading it – they’re using it to shop, and we’re seeing that translate into stronger orders and conversion.”
He added that the retailer planned to introduce further features as it looked to grow its digital business.
The latest figures follow an encouraging first month for the platform, when Matalan reported that 93 per cent of existing app users had migrated to the new version, generating two million sessions.
At the time, average order values were 10 per cent higher than on its website, a gap that has since widened to 14 per cent.
The app forms part of a wider investment programme at Matalan, which has also been refreshing its store estate and repositioning its fashion ranges as it looks to win back shoppers.
The retailer secured a further £25 million funding commitment from its investors in March to support investment across stores, product and digital, while its existing debt facilities were extended to 2029 in June.
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