What are the major trends in e-commerce in 2022? How recent changes in global markets have influenced the e-commerce branch? More and more sellers decide to expand their business activities into online sales. There are more and more technical possibilities and improvements available to companies that wish to trade on the Internet. It is worth finding out more about the trends in e-commerce, that will be observable during the upcoming months and years.
AR (Augmented Reality) is a technology that allows the connection of the real world with the virtual world by the use of a computer or smartphone. PokemonGo is an example of an application that used Augmented Reality technology. The game, popular between 2016 – 2019, has become a widespread phenomenon among smartphone game lovers.
VR (Virtual Reality) in comparison to AR (Augmented Reality) needs special goggles that allow access to the virtual world created in 3D space. With the use of this technology, the user can enter the virtual world. Virtual Reality technology is applied to provide virtual trips around houses that are offered for sale.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality fill the gap between the real object and the virtual version of the same object seen on the Internet. Visualization allows clients to accustom themselves to the offer and make sound decisions related to their purchases. The main problem with VR technology is the high cost of the equipment needed – VR goggles are still very expensive. The other deterrent is the weight of the google set. Augmented Reality has the advantage over Virtual Reality – it doesn’t require the usage of any additional, expensive tools.
Accordingly to the Jupiter Research report, the value of voice transactions supported by virtual voice assistants will increase to 19,4 billion dollars in 2023.
The popularity of intelligent speakers, used in households across the world will influence this value. Voice search allows the users to save time that normally they would have to spend on browsing the website. Technology has a huge impact on e-commerce because companies have to take appropriate steps to adjust their business to this solution. Voice search is used differently than internet browsers, people tend to ask long questions, and they use different more complicated keywords in speech than in typical internet searches.
The personalization of the assortment potentially has a huge meaning to e-commerce, because people are very likely to pay more for the product that is adjusted to their needs. The trend is visible in fashion, where clients can participate in the design of their dream-of shoes (among others Nike). Personalization of assortment can be applied to the whole purchasing process. Clients want to find products as fast as possible and to allow this, many companies study clients’ behavior – advertisement of products is based on the information on the previous choices made by the client – products that may be needed by a particular client are offered in the first place.
Environmental awareness among the customers is rising and the same is expected from companies. More and more clients pay attention to the approach of the company to environmental issues. Brands that offer products that were not tested on animals or those, that use recyclable materials are chosen more willingly. Clients are eager to pay more and wait longer for the delivery as long as they are sure that it helps the ecology.
AI and machine learning are getting more and more popular among trends in e-commerce. Those technologies can be used for the aforementioned earlier, personalization of the website content. Personalization of the content is similar to the technology of recommendations that works based on the algorithms that collect the data about the client and after the analysis recommends certain products to the client. Additionally, machine learning is used during the dynamic valuation of goods. In this case, the technology allows the offering of discounts that are being displayed in real-time, which influences the sales directly.
There is a new trend on social media, where well-known personalities, unpack their products during the steaming online. The packaging becomes an equally important element of the sales strategy as the other factors – clients pay attention to the way their order was packed. The way of packaging becomes a part of branding and influences customer satisfaction. In the future, easily recyclable materials will gain significance. The influencers support this trend with their online activities by showing the process of opening their parcels.
Recently, there is a new trend on the market of internets sales of food items and fresh produce. The assortment with a long expiry date brings no problems and doesn’t require additional input of labor. With the new logistics solutions even small, local companies can offer their products online and deliver fresh, food products that have a shorter expiry date to their clients.
Retail formats change in time and there are more and more new forms that are designed to attract customers.
Marketplace
Marketplace platforms such as Allegro or Amazon gain popularity among clients and sellers. The buyers can compare prices of interesting products, read the reviews of their offers, and make their shopping in one place. Sellers gain access to the clients’ database and they don’t have to possess their online store, which requires much time and financial investment.
Omnichannel
With that many sales formats, it is difficult for the company to limit its activities to one sales channel. The best practice is the usage of many forms of selling to reach the highest number of clients. Frequently brands combine online sales with stationary sales and allow orders to be received at the stationery store. Omnichannel helps to reach clients with different shipping habits.
Live Commerce
A new trend of live commerce is prevailing recently on online social platforms. Live commerce is a technique of live transmissions in real time that are showing the assortment of the company. The questions of clients are being answered during the transmission. Users can ask questions and reserve or buy the given product. The trend is observable mainly in the fashion industry, but slowly is being used by other branches. Huge meaning during the live transmission has the right choice of the host, who should be able to engage the customers and persuade them to buy.
Social Commerce
Social commerce exploits the potential of social media to sell products. Companies open their accounts on social media and aim to gather the community around the brand or the product, a community that will show their commitment. The work in this area involves care for the profile, ensuring consistency, communication with clients, and organizing competitions. Among good practices, there is engagement in social groups and running the transmissions.
M-commerce
Electronic trade evolves slowly into mobile commerce because the users shop more and more often with the use of their phones – they purchase with their smart devices more frequently than with the usage of stationary computers. Companies that follow this trend have to introduce many changes and additional features. The websites have to be more responsive and readable on each type and size of the screen.
The other solution involves the creation of an application dedicated to the store. Companies have to deal with the problems experienced by their clients: uncomfortable forms to fill, too small windows, payment difficulties. M-commerce is constantly developing because it is a comfortable and fast form of shopping that can be accessed any time any place.
Huge importance for e-commerce has popular deferred payments. Operators such as Pay Po, Twisto, or PayU act as intermediaries in the purchasing process. Thanks to this solution clients don’t have to pay for their order immediately after making the purchase, or not even after the delivery. With this solution companies don’t lose because the operators (fintech) pay for the client. The client has to settle with the operators, not with the seller. Deferred payments have many advantages: the conversion rate is increasing, users may test the product before payment, and there is a broader area of choice.
Clients pay great attention to the form of the delivery. The most important element is the time of shipment. The faster the delivery is the better.
Dark store
A dark store is a point of delivery that allows picking up orders. Clients cannot make shopping there. The store looks similar to the typical market store, where there are products on the shelves waiting to be packed by stock boys and later picked up by the client. The advantage of such places is a short time of realization of orders and availability of service 24/7.
Pickup points
Pickup points are popular and easy to use. The operation of this technology is fast, easy, and environment friendly because the delivery man doesn’t have to drive from client to client and supply parcels individually. Additionally, consumers can pick up their parcel and any time without the need of waiting at home for the delivery.
Quick Commerce
Q-commerce is another, new, developing trend in e-commerce. The delivery men use bicycles or motorbikes to deliver the product to the client’s door. The delivery men use huge backpacks to deliver food, that was ordered with the use of specially created applications. The name Quick Commerce is a reference to the usual fast delivery time which is usually no longer than 30 minutes. The companies such as Glovo or Volt develop the range of their services and offer not only meals from restaurants but food shopping as well.
The above trends are shaped by the rapid development of new technologies and the need to crating of a friendly environment for clients. The attempt to satisfy the needs of the client is related to the multi-dimensional development of e-commerce. The trends have to support companies in encouraging clients to buy products and dispel clients’ doubts.
That’s all you need to know about the most important trends in e-commerce in 2022. Read also: Dropshipping and third-party fulfillment. 2 great fulfillment methods for your e-commerce business.
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Author: Martin Sparks
E-commerce enthusiasts which constantly digs around the internet in order to make sure he hasn’t missed any important information on the topic of starting and scaling profitable online stores.
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