Applications
InMobi says 80% Asian mobile web users opt for shopping on the go
MUMBAI:Independent mobile ad network, InMobi, has said that shoppers in the Asia Pacific region prefer browsing and buying goods and services from their mobile over their PC.
Conducted in partnership with the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the InMobi Mobile Shopping and mCommerce study found that 80 per cent of Asian mobile Internet users indulge in mobile shopping.
The study was conducted in 14 countries among 15,000 consumers with representation from close to 5000 Asia Pacific users across all devices.
InMobi VP global research and marketing James Lamberti said, “Mobile shopping is already commonplace with more than three quarters of the total mobile web users in the region indulging in some form of digital buying. It’s an exciting time for the consumer, retailer, and manufacturer as mobile shopping solutions will become more intelligent and compelling to use. The clear consumer acceptance has opened huge opportunities in the world of mobile advertising.”
The study also says that popular product categories for browsing include music, movies, games, travel, consumer electronics, entertainment tickets and apparel.
The report also claims that preference to mobile over PC for shopping is common across all age groups and non-smartphone users prefer mobile shopping even more so than smartphone users, possibly due to the low penetration of PCs relative to mobile devices.
Ease of use and convenience are the two key features that consumers like the most about shopping on their phones, the study reveals.
In-market consumers have different uses for the mobile device when shopping based on the product and most common uses include price comparison, local store search, research (reviews, new, similar), and purchase, the reports asserts.
Mobile advertising influence:
Mobile advertising influenced buying in the following order of priority: entertainment tickets, consumer electronics, apparel, travel followed by digital content.
When shopping in a store after seeing/hearing an offline ad, 63 per cent of in-store shoppers will use their mobile device in some way, the study claims. Digital content shoppers agree that mobile advertising is great for content discovery with 45 per cent of the respondents saying it’s informative and helpful.
The study also claims that men (57 per cent) are most likely to be encouraged to purchase based on ad exposure than women (53 per cent). Women are less likely to shop via mobile with significant differences in purchase intent by product category between men and women. Also, women are less likely to shop via mobile with significant differences in purchase intent by product category between men and women.
Overall, there is an increasing intent to purchase physical goods via mobile devices, the study concludes.
InMobi VP and MD – Asia Pacific Atul Satija, “Consumers are way ahead of us when it comes to mobile usage/demand. The results of our mobile shopping study are consistent with our advertising effectiveness study from last year which showed strong consumer intent for mobile content and purchase.”
Satija also added that the staggering mobile penetration numbers, the tremendous innovation and growth of the mobile advertising market and a mobile savvy consumer set make Asia Pacific an ideal market for the growth of mobile shopping and commerce.
Most popular purchases from mobile devices in Asia Pacific:
Product | % Buying |
|---|---|
| Music/Movies/Games | 43 per cent |
| Consumer Electronics | 24 per cent |
| Entertainment Tickets | 15 per cent |
| Travel | 12 per cent |
| Apparel | 11 per cent |
| Other | 3 per cent |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
