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Global retail is increasingly being shaped by digital commerce, with worldwide e-commerce sales projected to reach $5.24 trillion in 2026. While business-to-business transactions account for a significant share of that growth, consumer-facing brands are driving a new wave of innovation as they compete to build direct relationships with shoppers.
Much of that battle has shifted to smartphones. Mobile commerce has become one of retail's fastest-growing channels, giving brands new opportunities to engage customers through dedicated apps rather than relying solely on marketplaces or web storefronts.
That opportunity, however, comes with rising expectations. Consumers expect fast, intuitive, and frictionless mobile shopping experiences, while retailers face increasing customer acquisition costs and growing pressure to improve conversion rates. Delivering both requires sophisticated technology that can power personalized, high-performance mobile experiences at scale.
Today Shopify ecosystem partner StarApps announced it is expanding its mobile commerce ambitions through the acquisition of native mobile app platform AppMaker, whose technology is used by more than 200 enterprise brands. The deal reflects a broader trend as commerce technology providers look to strengthen their position in what has become one of retail's most competitive battlegrounds.
Shopify has long been an integral part of the e-commerce success story. As one of the most powerful and scalable e-commerce platforms in the world, it now accounts for a 14% share of all e-commere sales in the United States.
However, the rise of Shopify has been fueled by its focus on ecosystem partners that have evolved around the platform. These developers continue to build and launch apps and solutions that connect buyers and sellers thanks to the latest tech.
Here, StarApps is behind some of the most widely installed product merchandising apps on the Shopify App Store. Founded in 2016, the company is now one of the most widely adopted app developers in the Shopify ecosystem.
Its merchandising apps are already trusted by 30,000 merchants, with 2,500 of these on Shopify Plus. The popularity of StarApps tools is thanks to its focus on helping brands optimize product discovery, merchandising and the online shopping experience to remain competitive in the crowded mobile commerce channel.
Today, the company is poised to begin a new chapter of its growth journey following the acquisition of enterprise mobile app platform AppMaker, a company boosting conversion rates and increasing the lifetime value of customers through native, custom apps.
In regard to the acquisition, Shashank Agrawal, Founder of StarApps, commented, “AppMaker, which has achieved an exceptional enterprise platform that complements what we do, allows us to support merchants across a much larger part of the customer journey."
"AppMaker is the perfect fit for what we’re trying to achieve on an enterprise level," added the executive.
AppMaker boasts a strong track record in supporting Shopify brands by building fully customized, high-converting native mobile apps designed for retention and repeat revenue. The company has built mobile apps for 200 enterprise brands to date, which collectively process over $100 million in annual gross merchandise value.
The deal with StarApps will see AppMaker continue supporting its existing customers and partners while leveraging StarApps' scale and distribution on Shopify.
This comes during a pivotal moment for ecommerce, during which paid customer acquisition gets more expensive every year. Owned channels are the most secure way to reach customers and native mobile apps consistently drive the strongest repeat purchase behavior.
However, a custom build is out of budget for many merchants, leaving them reliant on limited templates. AppMaker lets a brand's own tech team, or its Shopify development partners, build custom features directly on top of the platform.
AppMaker will continue supporting its existing customers and partners while leveraging StarApps' scale and distribution on Shopify.
“Our customers consistently see some of their highest repeat purchase rates and strongest loyalty metrics through their app. Joining forces with StarApps allows us to bring this impact to many more brands, at scale," Saleeh K, Founder of AppMaker, concluded.
Together, the two companies will continue developing software and architectures that enable ecommerce brands to create faster, more personalized and higher-converting shopping experiences across web and mobile.
