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The 10 E-commerce trends in 2022

  • user
    Juliette
  •  07.01.2022
  •  5 MIN

2022 is here! The year has just begun and to start it well, we decided to share with you the new E-commerce trends that will punctuate 2022.

 

According to figures from the Federation of E-commerce and distance selling (Fevad), the sector reached the 130 billion euros of sales in 2021. With a growth rate in the 3ᵉ quarter of 2021 of +15%, the sector continues to grow and is now an integral part of our daily lives.

In addition, consumer priorities and desires are changing and driving this market forward very quickly. This is why e-tailers must adapt their sales strategy to best meet their customers' expectations.

 

Without further ado, here are the 10 trends not to be missed this year:

 

1. The promotion of Made in France

Since the Covid-19 crisis, Made in France or French manufacturing has become a habit for more and more consumers. This is what the Opinion Way survey for Insign reports: “since the beginning of the pandemic, 64% of French people have consumed more Made in France products”.

 

This choice of consumption, considered by Opinion Way as “an act of economic patriotism”, can be explained by a feeling of solidarity of consumers with local traders who have encountered many difficulties during the pandemic.

 

In 2022, the “Made in France” production, already recognized for its values, is to be highlighted in order to build loyalty and attract new customers.

 

2. “Green-friendly” consumption

According to the Observatoire Société et Consommation (LObSoCo): “59% of French people say they have integrated the environmental impact as well as the social and societal impacts in their consumption choices”. A figure obviously linked to the health crisis, because still in the same study: “62% of the population claims to be more attentive to the environmental impact of what they buy since the pandemic”.

 

It is important to keep in mind that more and more consumers are aware of the ecological impact of their online purchases and are sometimes even willing to pay more for eco-responsible goods/services.

 

2022 will not happen without environmental awareness on the part of e-tailers, and this can be achieved through :

  • The choice of raw materials,
  • The choice of carrier and delivery*,
  • The packaging,
  • The ecological or even organic referencing,

 

Moreover, eco-responsibility also affects the design of your website.

 

Do not fail to communicate and share your eco-responsible initiatives on all your communication channels.

 

*According to a study conducted by SendCloud in 2021: “52% of e-consumers will prefer an online store to another if the environmental impact of its delivery is less important. However, less than 1% of e-tailers can offer green or “green” delivery services today.

Why? Quite simply, because most traditional carriers are not yet sensitive to this issue. That's why, if you can privilege, in the big cities at least, deliveries by bike for example, you will be able to answer your customers' expectations.

 

3. The value of second hand

Promoted in large part by Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2010), second hand continues to become more and more a part of major consumer trends over the years. As consumers become more aware of their environmental footprint, they will prefer to make their purchases from sustainable brands.

 

This year, e-retailers are therefore well advised to exploit this trend in different ways: by reusing the raw materials of their unsold products or by creating their own second-hand platform, etc.

 

4. Efficient chatbots  

Chatbots are more and more used on e-commerce websites and are still part of the major trends in the sector thanks to their numerous advantages: reactivity, availability, personalization, relevance of answers, among others.

 

Chatbots are very appreciated by e-buyers, because they allow to :  

  • Answer their questions about the product,
  • Provide additional information,
  • Manage the after-sales service,
  • Propose other services or products complementary to the purchase,
  • Make an appointment with a consultant.

 

Moreover, it is now possible to customize your e-commerce chatbots. Among these customizations, we find the possibility: to display a personalized message for recurring customers, to exchange in several languages, to analyze the emotions of your prospect to adapt the conversation, to integrate a voice chatbot for more natural interactions.

 

Almost all e-commerce companies are using chatbots. In 2022, make your company stand out by personalizing them.

 

5. The place of visual content and the emergence of augmented reality

This year, you can make a good resolution for your e-commerce: stop retouching product photos and put in place more authentic content.

 

Think differently by innovating in terms of product visuals: favour photos taken by buyers, favour video and/or interactive content or augmented reality.

 

Why choose augmented reality?

To begin with, if there is one drawback to e-commerce, it's that you can't try on the product, adjust its size or appreciate the manufacturing details. Augmented reality provides the solution.

 

With augmented reality, your e-buyers can get a better idea of your product, but also make their purchase more fun and interactive, creating a real shopping experience.  

 

Shopify has launched Shopify AR, which gives businesses access to a toolkit that allows you to present your products in augmented reality.

 

6. The speed of payment methods

Consumers are more and more used to “contactless” payments, instantaneous and this habit is bound to last, requiring e-retailers to adapt.

 

To speed up online payments, there are many solutions available to shorten this step as much as possible:

 

  • Allow to buy without creating an account,  
  • Offer simplified payment methods such as Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, etc.
  • Offer staggered payments,
  • Offer secure storage of banking information to facilitate future purchases,
  • Add an “express purchase” button directly on the product page.

 

 

7. Encourage omnichannel sales

As you know, a consumer's purchase decision is made via different channels: in-store, on social network marketplaces, on your website, on a mobile application, etc. Being present on all these channels ensures you to boost your sales.

 

It is therefore necessary this year, if not already done, to diversify the buying experience on the different possible channels. You can, for example:

 

  • Put your product catalog on Pinterest or add your products to Facebook and Instagram marketplaces,
  • List your catalog on Google Shopping,
  • Create promo codes for online payments and loyalty cards at the point of sale,
  • Create a mobile application for your e-commerce.

 

8. Improving the smartphone experience

According to a study conducted in 2021 by OpinionWay and iloveretail.fr for Proximis: “48% of French people make e-commerce purchases from their smartphone and 34% of them make at least one purchase per month on their phone”. This is why it is important for e-commerce sites to optimize the mobile shopping experience as much as possible.

 

Moreover, as seen above, with the emergence of tools like PayPal, Amazon Pay or Apple Pay, it has become much easier for users to place orders via their smartphones. Phones and tablets are devices that should not be left out of your marketing strategy.

 

9. Fast/one-day delivery

With the arrival of Amazon Prime and its 24-hour delivery, consumers expect the fastest possible delivery from an e-commerce company. According to the SendCloud study, if the buyer chooses “standard delivery”, they expect to receive their order within 3 days, but are willing to wait up to 5 days maximum.

 

In addition to the speed of delivery, consumers expect the e-commerce platform to be able to inform them about the steps involved in the delivery of their order and to provide a reliable estimate of the delivery time.

 

10. The end of B2C… time for D2C

Consumers are looking for more transparency from brands and want to create a relationship of trust with them. This is why the notion of D2C (Direct to Consumer) is becoming more and more important. Brands are taking control of their e-distribution and are moving away from e-commerce intermediaries. This allows them to ensure the adequacy of online or physical stores with their values.

 

Through the notion of D2C, brands ensure to obtain more trust from their customers, but also to be able to manage their image more easily. Indeed, they can communicate directly to their customers important information such as delivery delays, routing steps, after-sales service or refunds.

 

Bonus  

 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for better recommendations

Artificial Intelligence creates a more personalized shopping experience than ever before and opens real business opportunities. By analyzing customers' habits, AI will recommend products in line with their tastes, desires, and needs.

 

Seniors: a new target for e-commerce

Since the health crisis, seniors have had to adapt to changes in consumption, and more and more of them are now reassured about online purchases. According to the Nielsen Institute in France, 500,000 retirees had to make their first online order because of the first containment and health measures. A new target not to be neglected for e-tailers in 2022.

 

The new generation of home shopping

More and more applications (Watiz, Spotern,…) are being created, especially in the fashion sector, allowing to find the reference of clothes on the screen

You want the same sweater as Mr Robot? You scan. Emily In Paris' shoes? You scan. A real revolution for e-commerce sites that can now ride the wave of binge-watching.

 

In short, in 2022, e-commerce trends will focus on sharing environmental and social values, but also on facilitating the shopping experience. If you want to delight your online shoppers, you know what to do!

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