Myntra to be app-only platform from May 15

Finally leading fashion portals Myntra has announced May 15 as the date to go app-only and the shutting down of its website. “This May 15, 2015, Myntra is taking the first step towards the future of fashion shopping. We move on from the desktop to being exclusively available on the app," the company informed its customers through an e-mail statement.

After Myntra, buzz is that even Flipkart is considering the same route within a year. Witnessing a rise in mobile traffic and smart-phone users from 6 percent a year ago, to 10 times more within a year and a half, Flipkart plans to take advantage of the prospects this business proposition holds. Myntra , which was acquired by Flipkart last year, has stopped selling on its website. Both Flipkart and Myntra have already shut their mobile websites directing visitors to their apps. Currently, Myntra witnesses around 80 percent of its traffic and 70 percent of sales driven by its mobile app. Flipkart also gets 60 percent of sales through its mobile app.

As per a recent Morgan Stanley report, online shopper penetration (as a percentage of internet users) in India is expected to increase from 9 percent in 2013 to 36 percent in 2020, primarily led by mobile users. With mobile usage increasing, advertisement costs (primarily search engine optimization) are declining as traffic is increasing either directly to the website or through a mobile app.