During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 2 billion people purchased goods or services online, driving an astounding e-retail sales of USD 4.9 trillion, and forecasts show these numbers are on the rise. As more people shop online, data is becoming more accessible, and trends are easier to spot. Here are 5 eCommerce trends that started or soared during the COVID-19 pandemics and are here to stay:

1. Mobile commerce is the most popular

Mobile commerce, the big trend in 2020, made a whopping 169% sales increase driven by the pandemic and the continuing shift from computer commerce to mobile. Mobile apps specifically had a 157% higher conversion rate than mobile web browsers, and 8 out of 10 customers prefer to use an app over a website.

It has become more evident that mobile commerce and app shopping are here to stay. So, how can you use it to benefit your business? Building a bug-free fast app representing your identity could create a distinct journey for your customer through the app, boost your omnichannel strategy, improve brand loyalty, provide a separate shopping experience that focuses specifically on your product, and increase your conversion rates.

2. Build on local community support

Even though local business support has been a slowly growing trend before the COVID-19 pandemic, the massive growth throughout 2020 created a bond between local stores and customers that is hard to break. During the pandemic, 71% of shoppers said they shop at retailers near them because they want them to stay open, opening space for alternative inner-city shipping rather than the traditional inter-city post.

By working within your local community within the same city, retailers could cut their warehouse expenses by 15% by turning their stores into dark stores and local warehouses. Start your inner-city shipping journey with Packaly’s last-mile delivery service, and get the chance to reach your local customers using local resources and bike couriers with a sustainable and fast delivery.

3. Growing customer segments

With the pandemic coming closer to an end, more people of different ages have adapted to shopping online, mainly through mobile phones, driving the first trend even faster. It seems like this trend is here to stay as over a 3rd of people over 65 are planning to expand their online expenses in 2021.

However, other factors besides the pandemic were also a major driving force for this trend. Trends such as the growth of mobile commerce and increasing technological literacy have been making eCommerce more inclusive, allowing for more people to shop online. Businesses are also shifting their focus on customer experience and personalization across different customer segments and channels.

What does that mean for you? Well, a new segment of customers to target! To reach them properly, you will need to take a few simple steps, such as market segmentation and data analysis. The segmentation and data analysis would eventually help you segment your market better and even personalize the experience for your customers based on the available information. For example, make guides and FAQs available for newer customer segments who might have lower digital literacy.

4. Social commerce

During the pandemic, social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Whatsapp saw growing traffic, and these companies built on that by improving their social commerce. With 5.78 billion social media users, social media is a touchpoint you cannot ignore, either for social media marketing or social commerce. With an estimated market value of USD 474.8 billion during the pandemic, the social commerce industry is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.4% from 2021 to 2028.

The benefits of social commerce are many and differ depending on your goals and strategy. There is no golden key or secret method to be the best at it. However, through trial and error accompanied by good data analysis, you can understand your customers and offer a similar journey across channels.

You can try ads to drive traffic, boost sales, raise awareness, or simply promote a message. Try implementing your brand guidelines for an omnichannel experience and a more visible brand identity. Maybe a CTA in your posts with a nice landing page from your profile overview to drive traffic, brand recognition, and sales. You can list your best-selling products on social media to be your forefront to the world. With social media, the possibilities and benefits could be endless, and it’s up to you to use them properly.

5. Express delivery

Express shipping has been in the spotlight since the early 2000s. However, technology did not allow most fast shipping ventures to succeed. In 2021, this is no longer the case, and with the shift towards working from home and the COVID-19 lockdown, consumers started paying more attention to their delivery time and expect businesses to replace the immediacy of brick-and-store shipping with their shipping options.

59% of consumers say that they buy more frequently from retailers that offer fast, easy, and transparent delivery during the pandemic. This trend witnessed its boom during the pandemic but has always been in consumers’ and businesses’ eyesight. So how can your business do it?

Meeting customers’ needs when it comes to their delivery can be challenging. Especially when you have diverse segments you are trying to reach. However, with Packaly, we offer our express and same-day CO2-neutral last-mile delivery solutions to help you reach your local customers faster and improve their experience with features such as real-time track & trace.

Sign up with our plug & play Delivery Dashboard and reach your local customers sustainably in only a few minutes. Start shipping now.