What are SuperApps, and why is this model going to catch on?

Book a ride, send a package and order food, all in the same app? That is a SuperApp, and it is becoming a trend.

SuperApps bring many features together on a single platform, so users no longer have to jump between screens, which saves them time. On top of that, there is no need to download several apps, which frees up memory on their phones.

This type of app became popular in Asia with WeChat, a messaging app that started offering its users other services, such as online shopping and payments.

SuperApps in Brazil

Despite the success and growth of this type of platform around the world, especially in China and in other South American countries, SuperApps are still little known in Brazil. According to Google data, 81% of Brazilians do not know what a SuperApp is, but once the concept is explained, the survey shows that 45.8% of people are interested in the idea and would install the app.

Among the SuperApps already running here, there is Mercado Livre, which, besides its marketplace, has its own payment system, Mercado Pago, and its own delivery logistics, Mercado Envios. There are also Uber and 99 Pop, with deliveries, parcels, rides and food delivery.

Why did these apps become such a craze?

Bringing everything into a single app makes tasks even faster and takes less of the user's time. For companies, the benefit is optimisation and a greater chance that customers complete a purchase, since there are fewer steps between finding a product and buying it.

With the opportunity this niche has created, tech companies are putting together teams to develop unified platforms.

However, creating such a comprehensive app is harder than bundling a variety of services into one platform. Getting users to adopt each tool at scale is the biggest challenge. Once that hurdle is cleared, SuperApps will mean a large audience with the traction needed to deliver every service to it.