Q4 marketing strategies for e-commerce and shopping app marketers

For shopping apps, Q4 is the most competitive stretch of the year. Singles’ Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas concentrate marketing budgets and consumer intent into a few weeks. Getting it right means more than scaling spend, it requires sharp planning, precise targeting, and the right infrastructure to keep campaigns measurable under pressure.

Adjust’s Shopping app insights report: 2025 edition uncovers the important dates and how to plan campaigns for the most successful short- and long-term gains. The takeaway is clear: shoppers flood in during Q4, but without preparation, many apps struggle to capture and convert the surge.

In Q4 2024, shopping app installs grew by 104% year-over-year, with sessions up by 42%. Marketplace & classifieds saw an 8% installs and 12% sessions boost, and deal discovery climbed 2% in installs but dropped -3% in sessions.

Q4 ad costs can accelerate fast. Shopping app CPIs hit $1.01 globally in Q1 2025 (up from the 2025 average) and during peak weeks such as those in Q4, they can climb even further. The most effective way to prepare for seasonal booms is to test early. Running creative and placement experiments in October or early November means findings are in place before costs spike, and teams can lean into what works without scrambling.

Experimentation should also extend beyond the usual playbook. Channels like connected TV (CTV), augmented reality (AR)-enabled product experiences, or conversational commerce may not deliver volume immediately, but they provide an edge, and often uplift, in crowded Q4 feeds. By diversifying before the rush, marketers insulate themselves against performance dips and reduce the risk of over-relying on a single acquisition source.

Shoppers rarely follow neat paths. In Q4, when ad volume (and ad fatigue) reaches its peak, this is even more pronounced. Users are exposed to, and move between, ads on CTV, product links on social media, ads on mobile web, QR codes offline/in-store, and more. If they do engage, every redirect or extra step increases the chance of drop-off. The path to conversion has to be so seamless the user doesn’t even notice it. 

This is where deep linking becomes critical. With Adjust’s TrueLink, marketers can ensure that every click leads users directly to the product, offer, or checkout screen they intended to see, whether they’re opening the app for the first time or returning. 

Branded short links add an extra layer of trust, helping to reduce hesitation and boost click-through rates (CTR) during high-intent moments. Combined with Smart Banners and optimized in-app UX, deep linking keeps the user journey seamless and measurable, turning expensive seasonal interest and ad clicks into conversions.

The temptation in Q4 is to chase installs at any cost, but installs alone don’t drive sustained revenue. Day 1 retention for shopping apps sat at 12.8% in 2024, showing how quickly users churn if the experience doesn’t stick. Reattribution is becoming a larger piece of the puzzle too, with global reattribution share climbing to 0.18 in H1 2025.

That means retention strategies should launch in parallel with acquisition. A strong onboarding flow, complete with saved carts, personalized recommendations, or early rewards, gives users a reason to return after their first purchase. Post-holiday periods are also key: campaigns aimed at win-back in early January often convert at lower CPIs while capitalizing on the large Q4 acquisition base. Incentives tied to meaningful in-app actions, not just downloads, create longer-term value and keep newly acquired users engaged well past peak season.

Q4 remains the most decisive quarter for shopping apps. It’s the period where installs surge, engagement patterns shift, and competition for attention peaks. Marketers who prepare early, test intelligently, and design seamless user journeys not only capture seasonal revenue but set the stage for sustained growth into the new year.

Download your free copy of the Shopping app insights report: 2025 edition for deeper benchmarks on installs, sessions, retention and more, to guide strategy during this high-pressure period. 

To see hands-on how Adjust can help grow your app business in general, or request a demo today.