For several years now, eCommerce has been experiencing an unprecedented boom. Driven also by the Covid-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021, growth trends do not seem to be slowing down even for the next few years, so much so that according to a survey conducted by eMarketer, eCommerce will reach $5 trillion in 2022.
Digital markets where growth will be even sharper include the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea, Canada, Russia and Brazil.
Other countries, however, will not be outdone either. At the end of 2021, in fact, digital commerce in Italy will be worth EUR 39.4 billion, of which EUR 30.5 billion for product purchases (18% more than in 2020) and EUR 8.9 billion for service purchases (36% more than in 2020), according to data from the Milan Polytechnic’s B2C eCommerce Observatory.
2022, therefore, promises to be increasingly digital, multichannel and eCommerce oriented. It is therefore crucial for merchants to be ready for the new year.
Expected trends for 2022
1. Increasing sales from mobile
As we have already anticipated here, mobile commerce will become increasingly popular. In the last quarter of 2021, in fact, purchases from mobile grew by 21% compared to the previous quarter when there was already a 24% increase over the first months of the year. Moreover, by the end of the year, global sales from mobile will reach 73% of total eCommerce. For this reason, it will be increasingly important to have mobile responsive sites.
Despite this, however, Italy suffers from a rather peculiar situation: the conversion rate from mobile is among the lowest in the world at just 1.1%. This means that users like to search for products from mobile but complete their purchases from computer. A fact that is certainly fundamental for optimising the user experience and the customer journey of one’s own users.
2. Focus on omnichannelality
Omnichannelality in 2022 will also play an increasingly important role. An omnichannel approach, as we have also recounted here, places the consumer at the centre of the business, providing him or her with the possibility of experiencing their shopping experience on different touchpoints provided by brands, without any break in continuity between online and offline.
Thanks to omnichannelity, it is also possible to integrate different delivery methods for orders placed online, leaving the end user to choose where and when to pick up their purchases. Locker and Pick-up Points, in fact, are able to offer the flexibility that more and more users (60%) say they want today.
Product sectors to watch out for
Based on the products most searched for online by users, it is possible to discover which product categories will be the most trending on eCommerce channels in the coming year.
These include, first and foremost, home furnishings, which are expected to grow steadily by 4.8% until 2026.
On the other hand, beauty products, such as cosmetics and hair care products, take second place in online searches, followed by eco-friendly and biodegradable items of all kinds, a sign of consumers’ increasing focus on environmental sustainability, even when buying online.
This is followed by tech products, pet products, accessories and clothing also – and especially – for sports
