Kiokii is a Canadian beauty and lifestyle retailer with 15 retail locations in Ontario that brings popular Asian skincare and cosmetics brands to North American shoppers.
Kiokii is a Canadian beauty and lifestyle retailer with 15 retail locations in Ontario that brings popular Asian skincare and cosmetics brands to North American shoppers.
With a loyal customer base, a strong ecommerce presence, and several physical locations, the brand had every reason to deepen its direct customer relationships, but limited internal bandwidth to do so.
And in a category built on repeat purchases and strong brand loyalty, launching new digital channels had to be worth the effort.
What they needed: a better way to stay connected to their best customers, without creating more work for their team.
Challenge
- A previous native app attempt stalled due to cost, complexity, and lack of a clear traffic strategy.
- A lean team with limited time and technical bandwidth couldn’t manage another standalone platform.
- Needed a way to improve mobile UX without adding operational overhead.
Solution
- Launched a full-featured app in days by turning their existing website into a mobile experience.
- Eliminated duplicate workflows and dev effort by syncing content and features in real time.
- Got hands-on support from MobiLoud on rollout, push notifications, and app strategy.
Results
- Their app now drives over 25% of mobile revenue and 18% of total revenue.
- App users have a 6.7x higher ARPU than mobile web users.
- Conversion rate and engagement metrics were significantly stronger across the board.
The Problem
A native app was too costly and complex for a lean team
Kiokii had explored launching a mobile app once before, but the native build was more time-consuming and expensive than expected. Maintaining a separate storefront didn’t make sense when most revenue was still coming from their website and retail locations.
When they revisited the idea, the goal was clearer: find a faster, lower-lift way to launch.
They wanted a simpler way to give their best customers an app experience they’d love without adding to their team’s workload.
The Solution
A low-lift way to launch a mobile app with a team supporting their growth
Summer, Kiokii’s Ecommerce Manager, initially worried the app would be yet another tool to manage.
“I thought I’d have to do a lot but once I realized it mirrored the website, I knew it would be manageable.”
There was no new system to learn or content to duplicate. MobiLoud’s platform simply turned their existing website into a mobile app, syncing everything in real time.
Eric, Kiokii's web developer, echoed that sentiment. His past teams used React Native builds that required manual dev work and maintenance. In contrast, MobiLoud allowed him to work within a single codebase.
“You don’t need to maintain two systems - you update the website, and it shows up in the app. That saves us so much time.”
But the real difference wasn’t just the tech.
From the start, the MobiLoud team helped them think through rollout strategy, app promotion, and push notification campaigns.
“On the marketing side, I feel very supported by MobiLoud’s team. It feels like we’re working with an app marketing agency that takes most of the work off our plate.”
Instead of adding to their workload, the app quietly supported their retention goals by giving them a dependable channel that extended all the work they were already doing on their site.
With the foundations in place, the Kiokii team has started integrating the app into their in-store and online experiences:
- Posters and QR codes at retail locations
- Incentives for store staff to promote the app
- App inserts in online orders
- Emails and social content highlighting app-only benefits
They’re now testing app-exclusive deals and loyalty perks to drive more app downloads.
Beyond making the app a place to shop, they hope to make the app a core part of Kiokii’s brand and community strategy.
The Results
A high-performing channel the team barely has to touch
With just two people on ecommerce, time and focus were limited. The app gave them a retention tool they didn’t have to manage daily, and it’s already become a key channel for them to reach their brand loyalists.
In just one month, the app is already driving 25% of all mobile revenue and 18% of all online revenue. Customers on the app return more often, spend more per session, and convert at a higher rate.
Other key engagement and revenue metrics also saw strong growth:
Their takeaway: if you already have a website your customers love, you can see great results with a mobile app without adding work to your team’s plate.
Why a Mobile App Is A No-Brainer
Cosmetics is built for repeat purchases
Skincare and cosmetics is a category driven by habit. Customers frequently return to restock essentials, browse new arrivals, and look for content like tutorials or reviews.
Kiokii already had strong engagement on email and SMS, but mobile web still posed friction. The team saw an app as a chance to create a stickier experience for loyal customers while offloading some of their retention strategy from paid channels.
With rising SMS costs, push notifications gave them a smarter, cost-free way to stay top of mind.
Curious What an App Could Do for Your Brand?
Launching a mobile app doesn’t have to mean building from scratch.
With MobiLoud, you can:
- Turn your website into a mobile app that drives revenue from day one
- Send free push notifications that cut through the noise
- Launch in as little as 24 hours, with zero dev work required
Want to see your store as an app? We’ll build you a working preview, no commitment required!
Kiokii is a Canadian beauty and lifestyle retailer with 15 retail locations in Ontario that brings popular Asian skincare and cosmetics brands to North American shoppers.
