Apps for boycotting US products top Danish App Store
What's the story
In response to former US President Donald Trump's controversial remarks about Greenland, two apps aimed at helping consumers avoid American-made products have surged in popularity in Denmark. The apps, NonUSA and Made O'Meter, have shot up the charts of the Danish App Store. They help users identify US-made products and suggest local alternatives. The trend highlights a growing digital resistance among European consumers, particularly in Denmark, against American goods.
App dominance
NonUSA app leads the charge
The NonUSA app, which specifically helps users boycott American products, has taken the top spot on the Danish App Store. The app lets users scan product barcodes to check their origin and suggests local alternatives where possible. Its popularity isn't limited to Denmark but extends to other Nordic countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.
App ascent
Made O'Meter's rise in popularity
The Made O'Meter app, available on both iOS and Android, has also witnessed a surge in downloads. Although it doesn't have as large a footprint as NonUSA, it has managed to climb to the fifth spot on the Danish App Store. The combined downloads of NonUSA on iOS and Made O'Meter on both platforms have skyrocketed by 867% over the last week compared to the previous one.
Consumer movement
Grassroots boycott and app discovery
The surge in app downloads comes amid a grassroots consumer boycott in Denmark. Some residents have even canceled their planned US holidays and are reconsidering subscriptions to American streaming services like Netflix. This movement appears to be driven more by individual consumer choices than organized campaigns, with social media and app discovery playing a key role in spreading the word about these boycotts.
Market perspective
Scale of Denmark's app market
Despite the boycott movement, several US-based apps continue to dominate Denmark's charts. These include ChatGPT, Microsoft Authenticator, and shopping app Shop. Local apps like travel service Rejsekort also feature heavily on the list, possibly reflecting changes to travel plans amid the ongoing situation. Appfigures notes that Denmark's iOS App Store sees around 200,000 total downloads per day across all apps.