Amazon has topped App Annies US internet retailer index for Q1 2014, meaning its app received the highest number of combined downloads on the iOS App Store and Google Play during the period.

Rounding out the top five are Groupon, Walgreens, Cartwheel and Etsy, while Amazon makes another appearance at number eight with its Amazon Local app.

The only retailer in the top 10 not to have an app for iPhone, iPad and Android is the Apple Store, which isnt available on its competitors platform – but clearly the companys fans, as iOS users, more than make up for that.

The report also looked at the wider picture in US retail, and how the shift from brick-and-mortar shops to online, and then to mobile, has left many brands behind because they failed to keep up with the pace of change or develop online and mobile strategies.

Many brands are developing innovative ways to engage with mobile consumers and changing shopping habits. The trend of showrooming, where shoppers visit physical stores to browse only to purchase them later online at lower prices, is being combated. Brands are building mobile apps that can scan products, prompt location-based coupons, and link shopping lists to store maps, driving shoppers back to physical locations. The report highlighted apps from brands like Walmart, Target and The Home Depot that took this interactive approach, which research shows can drive up to five times as much engagement.

“We know that 50 per cent of Walmart smartphone users have used their device in our stores to assist with a shopping decision,” said Wendy Bergh, vice president of mobile & digital strategy at Walmart. “We have such a big opportunity to provide our customers with indispensable shopping tools to better shop in our stores and online.”

The report also showed the power of creativity and gamification when it came to brands apps. It singled out clothing brand PINK Nation as an example of a thoughtfully designed app that helped to solidify brand identity and build customer loyalty. The company ran interactive, seasonal campaigns to keep its core demographic engaged, with in-app games that offered chances of winning prizes, and mobile-enabled scavenger hunts, and its parent company L Brands reported the app as one of the main drivers of sales growth.

Overall, the report showed that traditional retailers who had invested in creating unique, customer-focused apps that went beyond simply online purchasing were the most likely to grow both customer engagement and sales.