Myntra to go 'app only' from May 15

After rounds of speculation, Flipkart-owned lifestyle e-tailer Myntra Designs has finally confirmed that it will shut down its website to become a 'mobile only' platform from May 15. Rumours are rife that Myntra's parent company, Flipkart, will also go 'app only' soon. The company has been bullish on promoting its app via campaigns like 'Do ThumbThing'.

The move to go app only by Myntra is certainly bold. While many online firms have been reporting higher traffic from mobile devices as compared to web platforms, none of them have closed their web platforms yet. The success of this move by Myntra may result into other ventures going app only.

Sachin Bansal, co-founder and CEO, Flipkart, says, "Smartphones with apps are becoming utilities that consumers access constantly for their various needs on a daily basis. We are already seeing the development of mobile-based commerce, which will be the most powerful, personalised, intuitive and inclusive market. It's a great step that Myntra has taken towards creating a differentiated experience that will generate customer pull and make it a one-stop solution for all fashion needs."

Mukesh Bansal, CEO, Myntra and head of commerce, Flipkart, adds, "Fashion is a very personal experience. We believe that only mobile can truly deliver this experience as it captures user's lifestyle and context in manner that no other medium does. Think of all the hardware and software features that one can leverage like camera, contact, location etc. to understand the user's context and deliver the experience that is deeply personalised."

The company claims to have more than nine million app downloads. It aims to hit the $1 billion mark in revenues by 2016. It competes with Rocket Internet-incubated lifestyle e-tailer Jabong, among others. Myntra was acquired by Flipkart last year and has been ramping up its tech capabilities in the mobile domain. It has recently acquired m-tech startup Native5 Software Solutions.

Myntra has partnered with over 1,000 leading fashion and lifestyle brands to offer a wide range in latest branded fashion and lifestyle wear. The platform receives over 90 million visits every month and services over 12,000 pin codes across the country.