5 Major eCommerce trends for 2022
Last year saw eCommerce account for one-third of all retail revenue as brick-and-mortar stores were forced to shut their doors once again due to the pandemic.
As online retail continues to rapidly evolve and grow, below we take a look at what eCommerce trends we expect to see over the next 12 months.
ReCommerce
Naturally, Fast fashion saw a vast decline in 2020, with environmental and sustainability concerns fuelling this behaviour change.
This has led many people to buy second hand from independent sellers on platforms such as Facebook, Market place and depop.
These platforms already offer second-hand services and are widely used by millions of consumers globally, online stores can capitalise on this trend by creating their own reCommerce sites for reselling second-hand items which retain their value.
Image Search
Visual search functionality is set to become a fundamental tool for all leading retailers who are looking to enhance their customer experience.
Not only does visual search help satisfy users through its simplicity and ease of use, but it also helps you stand out from your competitors.
Recent research shows that websites that support voice and visual search will increase digital eCommerce revenue by 30% – certainly a trend to watch out for.
Tools such as Visually Similar Search offer website visitors the opportunity to browse similar items to the product they are currently viewing to prevent them from abandoning your website.
By facilitating product discovery and enhancing the user experience, visual search tools engage visitors and work to reduce bounce rates by guiding customers towards your checkout page.
Singles Day
Single’s Day is a major event to look out for over the next couple of years.
Originating in China, it’s a festival where singletons are encouraged to purchase gifts and presents for themselves.
Celebrated annually on 11th November, it has become the largest physical retail and online shopping day in the world.
2020 saw Single’s Day eCommerce profits increase by 85% from 2019, with $75 billion being spent (equivalent to £56.8 billion).
Additionally, Single’s Day saw the Chinese eCommerce giants Alibaba and JD.com generate $115 billion in sales across their platforms, both setting new records.
With Single’s Day gathering more attention in the western world than before, it is definitely on its way to becoming globally recognised, and thus more revenue will be highly likely to be generated within eCommerce on Single’s Day 2021.
Shoppable TV
Another forecasted trend for the coming year is shoppable TV.
As stated before, the amount of time people are spending at home has increased dramatically throughout 2020.
With plenty of businesses opting to keep staff working from home full-time even after the COVID-19 pandemic, people are more likely to either watch television or have it on in the background whilst they are working.
Largely an American brainchild at the present, shoppable TVs were trialled in May 2019 under NBCUniversal. During the French Open, they partnered with Lacoste, to drive viewers to Lacoste’s website.
It was not too long ago that smart TVs became the norm, with features such as Internet and streaming services.
Now, the addition of – for instance – the Amazon app (or any eCommerce platform for that matter) means that people can shop from the comfort of their sofas, without even having to put down the remote.
Voice Search
Voice search is another tool that will likely be adopted by eCommerce businesses shortly.
On average, people can type 40 words per minute but can speak 150 words per minute, making the benefits of voice search colossal in terms of accessibility and ease of use.
Voice search also helps users to communicate exactly what they are looking for, with rapid results to connect online shoppers to their purchases.
Smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home are already prevalent in many homes and an estimated 20% of smart speaker owners use them for shopping-related activities, including ordering items, conducting research, tracking items or creating reminders.
With this figure expected to rise to 52% within the next four years, we will likely see a significant increase in the availability of voice search functionality powered by artificial intelligence in 2022.
Afterthoughts
The eCommerce industry as a whole will certainly continue to grow year on year without a doubt, but especially with an economy that is going to have to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in a world where people can buy from the comfort and safety of their own homes, eCommerce is the new normal for many people.
Adapt Commerce partners with merchants, agencies and companies of all different sizes within the eCommerce space. Contact us today if you need any help with your staffing needs.
