Will SuperApps soon conquer the European market?

Details

Supervisors

Belleflamme, Paul

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée
Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

This thesis examines the potential for SuperApps to enter and succeed in the European market. SuperApps, which integrate multiple services into a single platform, have become extremely popular in the Global South, especially in Asia. WeChat, in China, represents a major example by integrating messaging, food delivery, and medical care among many other services. To address our research question, "Will SuperApps soon conquer the European market?", we conducted a survey with 125 European participants. The findings revealed a considerable interest in SuperApps due to their convenience, with preferences for the integration of services like transportation, accommodation, meal delivery, entertainment, and shopping. However, despite the interest, several challenges identified through the study need to be addressed in order for SuperApps to succeed within the European market. The main issue is data protection, as most of the respondents (81%) are concerned about the security of their personal information. Also, the reluctance to change and the existing preference for the apps that participants are familiar with might hinder the adoption. By addressing these findings, the research aims at providing actionable insights for companies looking to introduce SuperApps in Europe, as well as at picturing what a potential successful SuperApp would look like in Europe.