5 trends that will define e-commerce in 2022

#1 Live Shopping to enhance user experience

You are probably familiar with the concept of teleshopping. While it has gradually fallen into oblivion, it is now making an unexpected comeback thanks to Live Shopping!

In 2019, NBC launched a mobile app to allow its viewers to purchase "as seen on tv products" from their smartphones. But it was AliExpress' app ("Taobao Live") that helped Live Shopping skyrocket and grow beyond your average ephemeral trend. Subsequently, Instagram and TikTok have taken over to perpetuate this new way of shopping.

This formula shines through a unique customer experience, which is crucial in the age of Search eXperience Optimization or SXO (a mix of SEO-Search Engine Optimization and UX-User Experience).

#2 Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and voice search: The new drivers for e-commerce

To boost customer satisfaction, e-commerce managers are now turning to new technologies that allow them to improve their brand image but also to attract prospects and build customer loyalty.

AI and virtual reality (or augmented reality) are improving user experience and driving sales opportunities. Examples include websites that offer virtual fitting rooms or a reverse image search feature. Indeed, many consumers now use Google Image to perform a reverse search for stores that carry the product they want to buy. In fact, 62% of consumers under 35 perform this type of search to shop (according to an infographic by PayPlug and PrestaShop). 

The future of e-commerce is undoubtedly visual, but it is also vocal: more than one in two French owns a voice assistant (according to a study by La Poste published by La Vie Numérique) and more than 50% use it to look for a product. This is what we call "voice commerce" or vCommerce.

#3 Provide a variety of payment options

Customers expect diverse payment options. They won't even hesitate to cancel a purchase if their favorite payment method isn't available. E-commerce websites should therefore offer a wide range of payment options to increase conversion rates. They should also provide customers with the ability to save their payment information. This secure payment feature saves time for both the customer and the merchant site.

#4 Social selling remains on the map in 2022

Social Selling (or Social Commerce) is still a trend in e-commerce, regardless of the industry or the target audience. It allows the consumer to purchase a product straight from a social media post. Instagram has a "Shopping" feature allowing people to tag a product on an image. Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat also feature this service. 

According to the Fevad study, nearly a quarter of French consumers say they are ready to make their purchases directly from their favorite social network. Social Selling allows to reach a younger audience and to generate more sales, especially when combined with influence marketing.

#5 A more ethical and eco-friendly approach

Consumers, including Generation Z, want brands to help them be more environmental and ethical. This means taking into consideration the environmental impact of products but also showing support to local companies. Their main challenge is to buy wisely by focusing on usefulness and reusability. According to Fevad, 53% of consumers take into account environmental, responsible or ethical factors when shopping online.

Some responsible buying behaviors include:

• prioritizing circular economy products (51%);
• buying from French websites (68%);
• group orders to limit the environmental impact of deliveries (71%);
• choosing relay point delivery (66%).

The success of the second-hand market and the rise of "Re-commerce" where products are recycled or reused is another important factor. Brands have become aware of this trend and now sell products from their old collections under the " second hand " label.

E-commerce has become an integral part of commerce and will continue to grow. Indeed, according to Statista, e-commerce is expected to grow by an average of 5.24% per year between 2021 and 2025. It is also a booming activity in the job market. With the significant increase in online purchases, e-commerce now represents more than 193,000 jobs, an increase of 12% compared to 2019.

Is e-commerce part of your career objectives? Learn more about the programs offered by the American Business School of Paris!