Time for a change
In 2020, like most other sectors, e-commerce had an unprecedented year. The global health crisis stifled many of the trends predicted for 2020. One thing is for sure, 2021 is about to be as exciting and unpredictable as 2020 was. It is more important than ever to adapt to the market and be aware of the new directions in e-commerce.
In 2020, millions of people discovered the convenience of shopping online from their couch, their desk, or even in transit. Many of them had been reluctant to shop online because it simply wasn't their habit. Whether due to a fear of paying online (security), a desire to support local businesses or concern about the sustainability of e-commerce (see below), others had not even considered online shopping as a viable option. The situation quickly changed with the closure of physical shops around the world in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19. As a result, 25% of physical retail shops had to launch an e-commerce platform to meet demand, but also to overcome the crisis. Consumers often had no choice but to shop online and guess what? They loved it.
The good news for e-retailers is that this will not change in 2021, and even more people are expected to make their first purchases online. According to Statista, 2.14 billion people will be shopping online in 2021.
You can also check out this article to learn more about the eCommerce Trends report for 2021.
Change in consumption patterns
2020 not only changed the way we shop, but also changed what we consume in general. It is predicted that in 2021, online spending on travel and luxury goods will decrease further. At the same time, sales of consumer goods, health and hygiene products, and "everyday" products will increase. The most popular category will probably again be clothing and fashion. Categories such as loungewear and sportswear are competing for the top spot in the preferred categories. These trends will be further reinforced by the normalisation of teleworking. Major companies such as Google, Sony Music and Amazon have already announced that their employees will not return to the office until at least the end of 2021. It is to be expected that most large companies will do the same. In addition, other companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Slack or Shopify have already taken the extra step of not having their employees return to the office and the traditional way of working.
M-commerce will become even more important
Between 2016 ($1 trillion) and 2020 ($2.9 trillion), m-commerce sales almost tripled according to Statista. By the end of 2021, mobile sales will account for 72.9% of all e-commerce sales, or about $3.56 trillion, an increase of 22.3% over last year. Although mobile is outpacing desktop in overall sales, the average spend per purchase is still higher for the latter device: $122.11 for Q2 2020 (compared to $84.31 for mobile). This is particularly true in the US, but the gap is not as large in the UK. However, the gap between mobile and desktop is expected to narrow in 2021. Furthermore, mobile outperforms any other device in terms of website visits (55.08% worldwide, 74.66% in the UK) and average page views (mobile 8.03 vs. desktop 6.13 worldwide). The UK is an exception in this category with an average of 11.13 page views on mobile compared to 15.29 page views via desktop. Another interesting figure is the conversion rate. While the rate is decreasing for desktop, it is increasing for mobile. Indeed, if the trend continues, m-commerce conversion rates will take over by 2021. To put this rapid increase in context, mobile conversion rates were half those of desktop until mid-2019.
More voice assistants in our homes in 2021
Voice assistants were supposed to be the stars of 2020. However, the numbers have not taken off as expected. Nevertheless, these devices are being used more and more. According to Google, 27% of the world's population (with access to the Internet) uses voice search on their smartphones. In addition, 55% of participants in a study by Perficient ranked voice search in the top 3 ways to search on their mobile. At present, it is mainly used to obtain information on the weather, news and to activate music. However, 43% of voice assistant owners shop online using this technology. What is quite promising and interesting for e-commerce companies are the profiles that use voice search. Indeed, people between the ages of 26 and 35 are the most likely to use voice search. This category of young professionals is considered particularly interesting for the majority of e-tailers. Similarly, the use of voice search correlates with the level of education, which means that the average income level of these people is also higher.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
