The Evolution of E-commerce
By: Kyna Ysabel
Tags: Online Business, Marketplaces, Ecommerce

5. Recommerce

Another trend that emerged from the ethically conscious millennial mindset is recommerce, also known as second-hand commerce. As the name suggests, it refers to buying and selling second-hand products through e-commerce.

This new mindset is so effective that recent research predicts the second-hand market will double within the next five years.

6. Social Commerce

Despite everything that has changed in 2020, one thing stayed the same; we still live and breathe social media. So, what’s more, convenient than being able to buy products directly from your favorite social media app?

Social media is so impactful on consumers’ purchasing decisions that a Deloitte report found that consumers who are influenced by social media are 4 times more likely to spend more on purchases.

7. Influencers Will Become Brand Partners

“Many eCommerce brands have a content problem — in that they are unable to create enough content at scale to support their marketing efforts. In 2021, a trend we will see is brands looking to influencers as content creators to support the content creation process in lieu of a content agency. We’ll also see brands add paid media spend to this content so that they can control the reach and audience.”

8. Personalization Is The Future

More than 50% of shoppers say that a personalized online store experience is important. — Bazaarvoice, 2018

Personalizing the online shopping experience is the key to keeping customers satisfied. People shopping online want help to find the products that they need, and they value a more personalized experience.

By offering personalized customer communications, providing relevant discounts, and engaging with customers through, for instance, video content, will help deliver a better shopping experience and strengthen the bond with your customers.

9. Delivery Comfort

Personalizing the online shopping experience is the key to keeping customers satisfied. People shopping online want help to find the products that they need, and they value a more personalized experience.

Flexible shipping options will attract and make clients loyal in this period of time. Affordable international shipping (especially within closely located country areas line European Union, Scandinavian countries, and North America) and immediate local delivery will win the hearts and wallets of the buyers who will get comfortable with purchasing products online.

10. Green Consumerism

50% of digital consumers have stated that environmental concerns impact their purchasing decision. — GlobalIndex, 2018

Sustainability is no longer reserved for a few brands. In fact, changes in the economic, cultural, and social landscape in many countries worldwide have shifted the focus towards making products that protect the environment.

Green consumers are also flexing their purchasing power, with 65% of buyers wanting to make purchases from brands that aim for sustainability according to the Harvard Business Review.

Align your brand with a charitable organization that gives back to the environment. Just like choosing an influencer, your brands can benefit from working with each other, provided that you’re ethically aligned.

11. Customized Packaging

Let’s face it, as customers, we equate packaging with the brand itself. The nicer the packaging looks, the more likely we’re going to make a purchase. It is also a fact that most consumers become more excited about products that come in unique packaging. So it is a no brainer for online sellers to customize their product packaging. Doing so can help their products stand out.

For those of you who are planning to customize your product packaging, you can do so by focusing on different aspects of packaging. You can highlight packaging durability, aesthetics and even point out to your customers that your packaging is environment-friendly. Doing so would further aid in building your brand.

12. Augmented Reality Transform How We Shop

By 2022, over 120,000 will be using Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, offering a much richer buying experience. — Prnewswire, 2018

Unlike in physical stores, online shoppers can’t try on or physically inspect the product that they intend to buy. Augmented reality (AR) helps eliminate this hurdle by letting customers see how a certain product would look on them even before they buy the product.

By implementing AI and AR in your e-commerce store, you will likely see an increase in conversions and a decrease in the return rate.

13. Omnichannel Retail

All channels are available to the consumer and they are all connected

73% use multiple channels during their shopping journey of Americans say their purchases are influenced by packaging design. 72% By 2022, over 120,000 will be using Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, offering a much richer buying experience. (Prnewswire, 2018) 73% With the increase in the adoption of mobile devices and voice assistants, I can only imagine that the number of omnichannel customers will increase even more in 2021.

14. Increased Focused On Personal Health And Self-Care

34% of consumers are increasing their purchase of personal hygiene products while cutting back on more discretionary categories.

Revenue in the Personal Care segment is projected to reach $227 Million in 2021. The market is expected to grow annually by 4.3%.

15. Shopstreaming (Live Stream + Shopping)

will be the next big trend in consumer retail and brand development.