Mobile Gamers Are Household Decision-Makers with Real Spending Power
Data source: Kantar research commissioned by AppLovin Axon, February 2026. n=2,500 US adults, past 3-month mobile gamers.
Every paid acquisition channel promises to reach buyers. AppLovin Axon actually delivers them — and the data to back that up comes from a February 2026 Kantar study of 2,500 US mobile gamers.
The findings on purchasing power and financial confidence are some of the most compelling arguments for why Shopify brands should be taking the AppLovin Axon audience seriously.
70% Make Most Household Purchase Decisions
This is the headline number: 70% of mobile gamers report making most of the household purchase decisions — a figure that is statistically significantly higher than the general population benchmark of 60%.
Only 28% say they share decisions equally with someone else. Just 2% say someone else makes the decisions.
For ecommerce brands selling products that touch everyday household life — home goods, food and wellness, pet products, personal care, apparel — this is a critical insight. You are not reaching passive browsers. You are reaching the person in the household who actually decides what gets bought.
70% Feel Financially Comfortable
Financial confidence shapes purchasing behavior. An audience that feels stretched is unlikely to act on an impulse purchase, no matter how good the ad.
Among mobile gamers surveyed by Kantar:
- 37% report feeling "very comfortable" with their finances
- 33% report feeling "somewhat comfortable"
- Only 21% say they are "just getting by" and 9% say they are struggling
That means 70% of mobile gamers feel financially comfortable — a meaningful indicator of discretionary purchasing power. These are not people tightening their belts. They are people who can and do spend.
71% Shop Online at Least Weekly
Mobile gamers are active online shoppers — not occasional ones.
71% shop online at least weekly, with 22% shopping daily. When it comes to monthly spend, the numbers are striking:
- 77% spend $100 or more per month shopping online
- 18% spend $200–$299 per month
- 16% spend $300–$499 per month
- 10% spend $500–$749 per month
This is not an audience that needs to be taught to buy online. They are already habitual ecommerce buyers, shopping regularly, spending meaningfully, and comfortable making purchases on their phones.
What They Are Actually Buying
In the three months prior to the survey, mobile gamers reported purchasing across a wide range of product categories online:
- Food, Health & Wellness: 78%
- Fashion & Beauty: 73%
- Electronics & Recreation: 63%
- Home & Living: 59%
- Pets & Kids: 49%
These are core Shopify brand categories. The mobile gaming audience is already buying in the exact verticals where most DTC brands compete.
High-Ticket Intent Is Strong Too
Beyond everyday purchases, the Kantar study found strong future purchase intent in higher-consideration categories over the next six months:
- Smartphone or tablet: 46%
- Travel or vacation: 42%
- Computer or laptop: 37%
- Furniture: 31%
- Vehicle: 29%
- Major home appliance: 26%
- Home renovation: 21%
For brands in these categories — or brands targeting customers who are in an active spending mindset — the mobile gaming audience represents a commercially ready pool that is not yet saturated by competition the way Meta and Google are.
Higher Income Gamers Are Even More Likely to Buy
The Kantar data breaks down purchase behavior by household income — and the results for higher earners are particularly strong.
Among households earning $80K–$99K, 77% have purchased after seeing a mobile game ad — significantly higher than the under $50K benchmark of 48%. Among $100K–$149K earners, that figure is 69%. At $200K+, it is 72%.
The conclusion is clear: affluent mobile gamers do not just play. They buy. And they are buying after seeing mobile game ads at rates that should make any performance marketer pay attention.
The Opportunity for Shopify Brands
The mobile gaming audience is financially confident, shopping-ready, and actively making purchase decisions across the exact categories where Shopify brands compete. The question is not whether these are your customers — statistically, they almost certainly are. The question is whether you are reaching them.
AppLovin Axon is the channel that reaches this audience at scale. Metaply builds the strategy and infrastructure to make that reach profitable. Talk to us about what Axon can do for your brand.
Research conducted by Kantar on behalf of AppLovin Axon, February 2026. Sample: n=2,500 US adults, past 3-month mobile gamers. Statistically significant results noted at 95% confidence level vs. general population or income benchmarks.