During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, every part of our life was impacted. How we work, play, buy, and think was suddenly forced to change. The lasting effects of the pandemic are still being studied and rippling effects continue to be felt well into 2022.
Research indicates that shifts in consumer habits during the pandemic will likely lead to long-term behavior changes. Learning what these changes are and how they may impact your business is important in the post-Covid economy. The trends we think are going to make the biggest impact in the 2022 peak season include mobile commerce, also called “m-commerce”, emerging tech including social media shopping integrations, and changes in consumer shipping expectations.
M-commerce
M-commerce is a trend of consumers moving from desktop shopping to shopping on their mobile devices. On the surface, this does not sound like a significant change for e-commerce, but research indicates that even as the pandemic has waned the mobile shopping surge has accelerated and changed customers' expectations.
One such shift in consumer expectations as a result of m-commerce is the availability of omnichannel shopping options. According to a 2022 McKinsey & Company report, 75% of US consumers are researching stores and purchasing items both online and in-store. Omnichannel shopping options include curb-side pickup, grocery delivery, mobile apps, and purchasing directly from social media. Integrating in-person and online shopping is becoming a growing trend, especially for Gen-Z and Millennial consumers. To reach these consumers it will become even more important to offer omnichannel options.
Social Media Shopping
Social media platforms, like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, have begun rolling out options for users to shop and purchase items directly within the platform. This has opened a new world of commerce and is incentivizing businesses to use these integrations to reach more customers.
Businesses that have kept up with this trend are reaching more customers. Jungle Scout's Consumer Trends Q3 2022 report indicated that 48% of consumers are likely to purchase a product directly from TikTok, a 30% increase compared to Q2. Of course, there are generational differences for which platforms are preferred for this type of shopping. For example, for Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers Facebook is the top site, for Millennials it’s YouTube, and for Gen-Z it’s Instagram.
Shipping Expectations
From supply-chain disruptions to limited out-of-home travel, consumers have dealt with a lot of changes in their shopping experience in the past couple years. It should be no surprise that their expectations for how their packages arrive have become a decisive factor when choosing and sticking with a retailer. Providing a good post-purchase experience is a great way to build long-term relationships with consumers.
One way to do this is to provide customized shipping experiences. This includes choosing shipping time, real-time tracking, and access to multiple cost-affordable delivery options. In fact, 87% of consumers indicated they would be more likely to shop with a retailer if customized shipping experiences were made available.
Adapt to change
We are just beginning to understand the post-covid economy that we have collectively entered. Grasping the emerging consumer trends and expectations is important to learn and grow as a business. M-commerce, social media integrations, and changed shipping expectations from consumers are three trends that are sure to change the e-commerce and retail landscape.
If you or your business are looking for flexible, responsive logistics solutions that can keep up with 2022 and beyond, reach out to us here on LinkedIn for more information.
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