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Digital commerce has increased over the past decade, spurred by mobile phones adoption, better connectivity, manageable technology implementations, and change in customer attitudes.
COVID-19 lockdowns also helped drive sharp growth for e-commerce businesses and changed the way people shop and make their buying decisions. A fundamental shift was seen in how shoppers across all age groups started adopting online shopping and built strong brand loyalty with key e-commerce players.
As a result, the industry saw sharp growth in total sales and the total number of users and retailers signing up for online shopping.
With e-commerce gaining a lot of traction, further transformation can be expected to drive efficiencies and generate value for both retailers and end customers in the coming years.
We look at some of the key trends which you should look out for in 2022:
Artificial intelligence:
In the past few years, AI adoption has been on the rise, with growth seen in AI usage for e-commerce retailers and logistics providers.
More prominent e-commerce brands like Amazon have been using AI actively to provide product recommendations for customers and track the latest trends.
Wider adoption of such tools is expected in the coming years, along with new tools like AI customer support chatbots, which are available 24/7 and provide human-like support.
Drone logistics and deliveries:
A good e-commerce network relies heavily on innovative logistics solutions. With customers expecting same-day/same-hour deliveries, there is a growing need for broader and more efficient logistics networks.
Drone deliveries offer to fill the gap and are expected to become the go-to solution for quick commerce providers. New drone technologies are also likely to become cheaper in the coming years and increase adoption across the industry.
Meta universe and virtual reality:
While online shopping is convenient, customers have always lacked the personal feel offered by traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
With the increasing adoption of virtual and augmented reality solutions, customers can now view their products more closely and feel how products like clothing, jewelry, etc., would fit them. With extensive social media providers jumping into this field and building their meta universes, the adoption of VR is expected to increase enormously in the coming periods.
Product customization:
Customized products have always been in demand. However, high costs and long lead times have been barriers for most e-commerce retailers.
This is expected to change going forward, as most e-commerce brands have started driving personalization across their platforms by providing customers with tailored shopping experiences and more personalized products.