5 Online Shopping Trends Worth Your E-Commerce Brand’s Undivided Attention
The recent global pandemic has dramatically changed the e-commerce landscape all across the world. It is safe to assume that e-commerce, and online shopping as a whole, has experienced more developments and advances in the last two years alone than in the previous decade. As the world begins to slowly open up, it is still an exciting and prosperous time to be in the e-commerce business. As long as you do things right and keep abreast of new advancements by staying on top of online shopping trends.
To find success in 2022, e-commerce brands not only need to revamp their digital marketing strategies, but ensure that their online stores meet customers where they are. Today’s customer is spoiled for choice. You need to do everything you can to incorporate the latest trends. This will keep your audience engaged and proactively reaching out to them, instead of waiting for them to come to you.
The report shows how TikTok is revolutionizing e-commerce marketing in 2022. But how does that translate to success on TikTok. To help you navigate this ever-evolving space we’ve put together this list of 5 online shopping trends that we think need your undivided attention in 2022.
1. AR, AI, VR, It’s Time to Explore a Whole New (Shopping) World
So many abbreviations, not enough time. Don’t worry, we’re here to make things simpler for you so you can concentrate on selling. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have changed the retail experience for fashion and certain creative industries. Quite simply, it allows the customer to get a better feel for the item without seeing it in person.
Artificial intelligence, robotics, and other automated technologies have enabled stores to go beyond just a digital offering, by ensuring that a personalized journey can be implemented for all shoppers. The retail market’s share of AI is expected to be worth $10 billion by 2027 in the US alone.
2. Food and Groceries are Just One Click Away
Whether it was a restriction on the capacity at indoor venues or the push to try different types of food while stuck at home, online shopping for food items and groceries has completely changed in recent years. The market for ready-to-eat food has more than doubled in the US and customers are continuing to order their groceries using apps and online retailers.
Many restaurants and grocery stores across the country have slowed down the expansion of their brick-and-mortar outlets. Now, they’re focusing entirely on scaling up their digital offerings with one-hour deliveries, special and diverse ingredients, and easy-to-cook meals. Customers now want to spend less time walking through aisles and more time having meaningful conversations over good food.
3. Recognize Your Older Customers
It might seem obvious that Gen Z leads the way when it comes to online shopping. But, this does not mean that e-commerce businesses can afford to ignore their older customers. In fact, they are swiftly and closely catching up. In 2020, almost 30% of online shopping was done by those over the age of 54. As baby boomers (aged between 55 and 75) were forced to spend time alone in the past few years, a majority of them have picked up new digital skills. They are now are adept at shopping online by themselves and without help from their younger family members.
Those in e-commerce can rejoice in this newfound tech-savvy generation and should go out of their way to make online shopping for them seamless and enjoyable. This is especially the case with pharmaceuticals, groceries, and healthcare where older online shoppers are leading the way.
4. Online Shoppers Love Their Subscriptions
Consumers love having their curated and personalized products delivered on a regular schedule without having to think twice. And, the pandemic accelerated this convenience. According to research by eMarketer, sales for subscription e-commerce grew by more than 40% and they forecast an increase of $10 billion by 2023.
Online shoppers are now comparing more than just price and the model is already about convenience. Your e-commerce brand needs to offer more incentives to encourage one-time shoppers to turn into lifelong subscribers. Think about bulk order discounts, special monthly products, and partnering with non-competing services to offer coupon codes to save on gas and groceries for example.
5. It’s All About Options
Providing your customer with what they want starts with giving them the option to choose. This goes for almost every aspect of your e-commerce shopping experience. Whether it’s curb-side pickup, same-day VIP delivery, or contactless drop offs – let your customer be the one to choose, while you price each offering accordingly.
With such a huge increase in the number of e-commerce platforms, creating a consistent and seamless customer experience that they can take under their control can make or break their shopping experience. Make it quick and efficient, offer flexibility and convenient choices. Experiment with a wide variety of payment options – credit and debit cards, PayPal, international transfers, and cash-on-delivery (COD).
In e-commerce, a one-size-fits-all option does not work, and offering an omni-channel shopping experience is what will set you apart from your competitors and traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
Stay On Top of the Latest Online Shopping Trends in 2022
The race to success for e-commerce brands is neverending, and one we hope never ends! Ultimately you want this evolving landscape to continue to grow and expand, as long as you can progress alongside it. E-commerce brings consumers and businesses together from all over the world. And if there’s one thing all these upcoming online shopping trends and the recent pandemic have taught us it’s this: the world is a much smaller place than it was.
While it can be daunting to take it all in, remember that as an e-commerce brand it’s never too late to learn new techniques and jump right in. Before jumping on a trend, allocate time and resources to figure out if it’s the right direction for your business. Online shoppers of 2022 are in the driver’s seat. Take their lead and customize your e-commerce user journey for them. If you’re still struggling or have more questions, our team is ready to help you navigate this.
About the author: Joanne has lived in five countries and is always on the hunt for a new city to explore. After a Masters in English Literature from the University of Leeds, she landed an internship at Google that ignited her passion for all things digital. She has 10 years of experience in content writing, reads 2 books a week, and loves ‘90s pop culture.
