Traditionally, shopping has always been a planned trip to the mall, with a detailed shopping list for the week or the month. However, with the rise of technology, the eCommerce industry has ushered in a significant shift in consumer behavior, where they can now shop from anywhere at any time.
There's no doubt that online shopping has become more popular than ever. A report by GWI shows that the number of Americans shopping online for household items and groceries increased by 36% in the last year. As the trend increasingly shifts to online shopping, consumer behaviors are changing too and are now clearer on what they want and how they want it.
This guide explores specific consumer behaviors you should know in 2022 and how you can align your strategies to satisfy consumer demands.
Consumer Behaviors in 2022
1. Consumers expect hybrid shopping experiences
After two long years of virtual interaction during the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers are now familiar with online stores as they were with physical stores. The connection between the two is important for consumers who expect an efficient and easy shopping experience.
According to a consumer study report by IBM, 27% of consumers and 36% of Gen Z choose hybrid shopping as their primary buying method. Therefore, retailers and product brands should ensure that they support hybrid shopping by blending digital and physical platforms to serve consumers.
For example, the report shows that 50% of consumers prefer buying online and picking up the items at a physical store. This makes a hybrid shopping experience workable for consumers.
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2. Increased demand for sustainable products
According to IBM's report, 44% of consumers choose brands and products depending on their value and sustainability. Therefore, consumers expect retailers and brands to show their capability in aligning their products with value, especially after the economic challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Harvard Business School report shows that brands marketing sustainable products have increased sales by up to 5.6 times. Sustainability goes hand in hand with the company's values in social and environmental responsibilities.
In 2022, product brands and retailers must focus on boosting their sustainability strategies in order to remain on the competitive edge of the eCommerce industry.
3. Consumers want faster deliveries
Consumers want everything delivered to their doorstep, or at least to a convenient place where they can pick it up. However, the delivery time has always been an issue, with some taking up to several weeks to get a product you ordered online.
In 2022, consumers will be interested in how fast they can get products delivered to them. Marketers who can assure consumers of faster deliveries are in a better position to make more sales and, therefore, more profits.
We recommend that you utilize Xparcel to ship your consumer's orders. This revolutionary shipping solution helps keep shipping costs low and customer satisfaction high.
4. Influencer marketing impacts consumer decisions
Consumers in the eCommerce space are faced with multiple choices, and in most cases, they require a small push before deciding to buy. Then, they take time to consider recommendations and check out reviews from other users on specific products.
Product brands and retailers must utilize influencer content to attract their consumers' attention. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, influencer marketing has increased significantly to generate over $13.8 billion in 2021.
As a brand, you can request previous customers to leave reviews on the products they buy from you. This will go a long way to convince a prospective customer to settle on buying your product. For example, it would make sense for someone to buy a product with many five-star reviews than one that has poor reviews.
5. Consumers prefer personalization
Consumers who have a personalized experience often come back for more shopping. According to HubSpot Research, 72% of all the marketers who employed personalization as a marketing strategy say that it's one of the most effective tactics.
Personalization strategies that work include product recommendations, usage recaps, follow-ups, etc. There are multiple channels you can use to personalize your consumer's experience with your products and services, and you'll only need to narrow them down and choose the ones that are likely to have a higher conversion rate.
As a brand, you'll need to pay attention to what your customers need and give it to them. You can do that by observing their shopping trends during different seasons.
Conclusion
As consumers go more into digital shopping, it's important to know their behavior and preferences so that you are able to give them exactly what they are looking for. While most of these trends have been here long before the pandemic, a 2-year period of less in-store shopping and more digital shopping has spiked many of them.
One of the trends you can take advantage of is faster deliveries. A reliable 3PL like Rakuten Super Logistics provide ground-breaking solutions like Xparcel that help you shop for the best shipping rates so you don't have to. Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date on all things eCommerce!
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Traditionally, shopping has always been a planned trip to the mall, with a detailed shopping list for the week or the month. However, with the rise of technology, the eCommerce industry has ushered in a significant shift in consumer behavior, where they can now shop from anywhere at any time.
There's no doubt that online shopping has become more popular than ever. A report by GWI shows that the number of Americans shopping online for household items and groceries increased by 36% in the last year. As the trend increasingly shifts to online shopping, consumer behaviors are changing too and are now clearer on what they want and how they want it.
This guide explores specific consumer behaviors you should know in 2022 and how you can align your strategies to satisfy consumer demands.
Consumer Behaviors in 2022
1. Consumers expect hybrid shopping experiences
After two long years of virtual interaction during the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers are now familiar with online stores as they were with physical stores. The connection between the two is important for consumers who expect an efficient and easy shopping experience.
According to a consumer study report by IBM, 27% of consumers and 36% of Gen Z choose hybrid shopping as their primary buying method. Therefore, retailers and product brands should ensure that they support hybrid shopping by blending digital and physical platforms to serve consumers.
For example, the report shows that 50% of consumers prefer buying online and picking up the items at a physical store. This makes a hybrid shopping experience workable for consumers.
2. Increased demand for sustainable products
According to IBM's report, 44% of consumers choose brands and products depending on their value and sustainability. Therefore, consumers expect retailers and brands to show their capability in aligning their products with value, especially after the economic challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Harvard Business School report shows that brands marketing sustainable products have increased sales by up to 5.6 times. Sustainability goes hand in hand with the company's values in social and environmental responsibilities.
In 2022, product brands and retailers must focus on boosting their sustainability strategies in order to remain on the competitive edge of the eCommerce industry.
3. Consumers want faster deliveries
Consumers want everything delivered to their doorstep, or at least to a convenient place where they can pick it up. However, the delivery time has always been an issue, with some taking up to several weeks to get a product you ordered online.
In 2022, consumers will be interested in how fast they can get products delivered to them. Marketers who can assure consumers of faster deliveries are in a better position to make more sales and, therefore, more profits.
We recommend that you utilize Xparcel to ship your consumer's orders. This revolutionary shipping solution helps keep shipping costs low and customer satisfaction high.
4. Influencer marketing impacts consumer decisions
Consumers in the eCommerce space are faced with multiple choices, and in most cases, they require a small push before deciding to buy. Then, they take time to consider recommendations and check out reviews from other users on specific products.
Product brands and retailers must utilize influencer content to attract their consumers' attention. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, influencer marketing has increased significantly to generate over $13.8 billion in 2021.
As a brand, you can request previous customers to leave reviews on the products they buy from you. This will go a long way to convince a prospective customer to settle on buying your product. For example, it would make sense for someone to buy a product with many five-star reviews than one that has poor reviews.
5. Consumers prefer personalization
Consumers who have a personalized experience often come back for more shopping. According to HubSpot Research, 72% of all the marketers who employed personalization as a marketing strategy say that it's one of the most effective tactics.
Personalization strategies that work include product recommendations, usage recaps, follow-ups, etc. There are multiple channels you can use to personalize your consumer's experience with your products and services, and you'll only need to narrow them down and choose the ones that are likely to have a higher conversion rate.
As a brand, you'll need to pay attention to what your customers need and give it to them. You can do that by observing their shopping trends during different seasons.
Conclusion
As consumers go more into digital shopping, it's important to know their behavior and preferences so that you are able to give them exactly what they are looking for. While most of these trends have been here long before the pandemic, a 2-year period of less in-store shopping and more digital shopping has spiked many of them.
One of the trends you can take advantage of is faster deliveries. A reliable 3PL like Rakuten Super Logistics provide ground-breaking solutions like Xparcel that help you shop for the best shipping rates so you don't have to. Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date on all things eCommerce!