As a brand operating in mobile commerce, we recognize that in 2025, mastering traffic acquisition channels is not just about volume, it’s about precision, diversification, and leveraging new frontiers. Below is our expert-driven perspective, grounded in industry data, on which channels are working in mobile eCommerce today and why OEM advertising is emerging as a strategic pillar.

The mobile commerce imperative

Smartphones now drive the majority of online retail activity: mobile commerce is projected to account for 59% of total e-commerce sales in 2025. Mobile traffic as a share of website sessions already exceeds 60%, and for eCommerce, mobile can reach over 70%. In other words, mobile is not the “channel of the future” it is the channel of right now.

As a mobile-first brand, we focus on traffic channels that not only bring users but bring the right users, those who convert, retain, and deliver lifetime value. In 2025, that means optimizing across a multi-channel portfolio: search, social commerce, marketplaces, app engagement, affiliate/partner traffic and increasingly, OEM advertising.

What channels are performing in 2025?

• Search & Marketplaces remain foundational. Users entering purchase intent via search or browsing marketplace catalogs often convert at higher rates. But rising competition and cost inflation limit scalability.
  
• Social Commerce & In-App Discovery are booming. Integrating shopping directly into social media apps allows brands to capture curiosity, impulse, and inspiration moments. The convergence of content and commerce continues to elevate social platforms as commerce gateways.
  
• App Engagement & Retention traffic (push, notifications, in-app campaigns) is vital. Once a user installs your app, driving re-openings and cross-sell/upsell via internal channels improves ROI and reduces dependency on paid acquisition.
  
• Affiliate & Partnerships provide reach across verticals and niche audiences. These channels remain effective when managed with quality controls and performance alignment.
  
• OEM Advertising is ascending from niche to core. OEM placements (in alternative app stores, device surfaces, system recommendations) now offer device-level access to billions of Android users via OEM brands like Xiaomi, Samsung, OPPO, vivo, and Huawei. OEM channels allow deeper integration and potentially lower competition relative to conventional ad networks. 

Some metrics are striking: OEM stores are projected to represent 25% of global app downloads in 2025, and in certain regions like Eastern Europe and MENA, OEM marketplaces may reach 40%. Brands are increasingly exploring OEM as part of their UA mix not to replace existing channels but to diversify and hedge risk.

OEM advertising also presents benefits in privacy alignment, lower friction, and access to users less saturated with standard network ads.

Climax: Why OEM matters and when It beats the usual suspects

The tension in 2025 is this: traditional channels (search, social, marketplace) are saturated, bidding costs are inflating, and performance ceilings are emerging. In that environment, OEM advertising offers an alternate frontier. It’s not a silver bullet, but it has unique advantages:

• Diversification & Risk Mitigation: by layering OEM channels, brands reduce overexposure to rate changes or policy shifts on major ad networks.
  
• Native Intent Surfaces: OEM placements often exist within device ecosystems (store recommendations, system UI spots), which carry high intent signals with less waste.
  
• Growth in Untapped Regions: OEM dominance is stronger in markets like Southeast Asia, MENA, and parts of Latin America. In these zones, OEM may outperform saturated global DSPs.
  
• Synergy with App Retention: OEM-acquired users, when well-targeted and onboarded, can yield higher retention because their first touch feels more native and less ad-driven.
  

But to succeed, brands must calibrate:

• Optimize creatives and onboarding flows tailored for OEM surfaces.
  
• Use incremental testing to measure lift vs other channels.
  
• Localize campaigns per region and OEM ecosystem (each brand’s platform works differently).
  
• Monitor retention and downstream events, not just installs.
  

When done right, OEM advertising can shift from “experimental” to “core channel” status in high-growth mobile commerce stacks.

Resolution: A balanced, future-forward traffic strategy

In 2025, mobile eCommerce traffic is no longer won by chasing scale alone. It’s about building a balanced acquisition ecosystem that combines proven channels with emerging ones. Search, social commerce, marketplaces, app engagement, and partnerships remain essential but as competition intensifies, brands must adopt OEM advertising as a strategic pillar to diversify, optimize, and sustain growth.

As we continue scaling and refining our traffic mix, OEM channels will not be an afterthought they will be a foundational element in future-proof mobile commerce strategies.