Survey: E-commerce surge will continue through holidays and beyond
A new survey indicates that online retailers can look forward to elevated shopping levels, even as stores reopen.
According to a July 2021 survey of 1,500 U.S. and U.K. consumers from AI-based personalization technology provider Qubit the vast majority (85.9%) of respondents plan to continue shopping the same or more online, even though most stores are open globally. Furthermore, the survey reveals that the 2021 holiday season could be the biggest yet for online shopping.
Not only are 54.5% of respondents planning to shop online as much as they did during the last peak period, but 28% including (32% in the U.S.) of respondents expect to shop more online than during the 2020 holidays. However, customer experience challenges remain, as 88% of respondents say they are faced with an overwhelming amount of product choices some, always or most of the time.
[Read more: Salesforce: E-commerce will stay elevated post-pandemic]
Additional interesting survey findings include:
● 71% of respondents said they have increased their online shopping frequency as compared to before the pandemic.
● When asked whether respondents were planning to continue to shop online in specific categories, the standouts were fashion (64%) and consumer electronics (63%). Nearly half of respondents also plan to continue shopping online for groceries, home & garden, and beauty (49%, 49%, and 47%, respectively).
● Eight in 10 respondents reported that loyalty to their top two to three brands either stayed the same or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet 31% said they now shop with more brands overall than before the pandemic.
● 55% of respondents said that they typically need more convincing to make a purchase online than they do when they are in-store.
“While 2020 was record-breaking for online shopping, we are seeing that global circumstances have espoused persistent changes in shopper behavior,” said Tracey Ryan O’Connor, chief revenue officer at Qubit. “Many consumers have grown accustomed to shopping online. This is extremely important for brands to be aware of as they begin planning for the 2021 holiday season, which may outpace 2020’s gains online considerably. To fully leverage the growth in e-commerce, retailers must factor in how consumers shop to meet customer expectations on the experiences they deliver, ensuring they’re aligned with current shopping trends.”