Around the Net
Apple App Store Getting "Catalogs"
- MacRumors, Wednesday, March 7, 2012 12:33 PM
Elsewhere on the app front, Apple is in the process of adding a new category to its App Store. Called "Catalogs," some are speculating that the vertical could challenge -- or perhaps compliment -- those massive, mailbox-clogging product directories for which Pottery Barn, Victoria’s Secret, and Lands’ End are famous. Until now, catalog apps could be found within Apple’s App Store -- they just didn’t have their own domain.
The change, at least according to catalog app makers, is significant. "Adding an app category is not something that Apple does lightly and we believe Apple's decision reflects the importance of this use case in the Apple App Store ecosystem," Joaquin Ruiz, CEO of Catalog Spree, tells MacRumors. Apple is hosting a media event this week, and, according to MacRumors, the timing of the App Store changes suggests that it could be related.
Catalog Spree’s app lets iPad users browse and subscribe to various catalogs. According to Ruiz, catalog shopping on the iPad is particularly popular in rural areas where shopping options are slim. Catalog Spree user spends about 30 minutes per session shopping. In Montana, by contrast, the average is 50 minutes. To date, catalog apps have been listed under the Lifestyle and Utility sections of the App Store.
