With their low barrier to usage and ability to reach the widest pool of consumers via their mobile phones, it’s easy to see why mobile-optimised websites have been the key investment priority for fashion retailers.

With their low barrier to usage and ability to reach the widest pool of consumers via their mobile phones, it’s easy to see why mobile-optimised websites have been the key investment priority for fashion retailers when it comes to their mcommerce strategies. Apps on the other hand have traditionally fared less well, but could this be about to change?

Rather than adopting a blanket one-size-fits-all policy, fashion retailers are beginning to re-evaluate the purpose of the app, with a focus on customer engagement and delivering an experience led proposition targeted at the needs of specific customer groups.

For example Clarks has an app dedicated to its children’s shoes offer, and mcommerce manager Nick Farrington-Darby has previously told me of plans to introduce a suite of apps suited to different customer groups. Shop Direct Group is also looking at introducing a style app under its fashion etail fascia Very.co.uk, which will no doubt appeal to its slightly younger, trend-led demographic. And group retail director Gareth Jones tells me that its Isme fascia could be next, with an app dedicated to fit, a primary concern for its target 45+ consumer.

There’s no doubt that mobile-optimised websites are and should be the first place to invest, but beyond that mobile apps looks set to become increasingly important. Introducing these sort of apps will no doubt be more complicated, but the benefit is that they will help fashion retailers really service the requirements of, in some cases, very diverse pools of customers.