The aftermath of the pandemic brought forth a major truth: if one thing is booming, it’s ecommerce. Companies like Amazon and Walmart are shaping new online shopping trends. Let’s see how.
Both retail and online shopping is seeing the emergence of a new era as the pandemic drove most things online and digitized the shopping experience for many.
Popular names like Walmart and Amazon are also sensing these changes and are trying to mold their practices accordingly. So, which new online shopping trends are expected to shape the ecommerce ecosystem now? Here’s what you need to know.
Purpose-Driven Companies Are All the Rage
Gone are the days when people cared little about how the product was made or who was making it. Consumers today are aware of climate change and terrible working conditions in third-world countries, where most consumer retail products are manufactured.
Therefore, they are demanding brands to do better and the customer’s voice is louder than ever. They do not only want companies to make claims, but to actually play active roles in reducing the carbon footprint of the retail market.
In response to growing concerns, brands are listening to the consumers, making changes in their practices, and still making profits.
Being Green Matters
Customers are wary of the pressing tragedy that is climate change. According to a survey, 88% of consumers want brands to be more environmentally aware and ethical.
But customers are not only depending on brands to make this change. They are also ready to change their shopping habits to reduce the burden on the environment.
In a survey, over 50% of the respondents believed in changing their shopping habits to make environmentally conscious choices, while 69% of them said they had willingly paid a higher price to buy recycled products.
Likewise, 80% of the respondents said they want to know where the products they are buying come from, and 69% of them are willing to pay a premium to buy from companies that disclose this information.
Speaking from a global perspective, 40% of the respondents select purpose-driven brands. Customers are increasingly becoming more aware of ill practices in the fashion and retail industries. They want to buy products that align with their values and are eco-friendly.
A GreenPrint Business of Sustainability Index survey shows that 75% of millennials are willing to pay a higher price for products that are environmentally sustainable. Meanwhile, 76% of the respondents said they would switch the brand if they were making more carbon emissions.
Companies are Listening to Consumer Demands
Previously, brands were quite distant from their customers due to a lack of communication channels. But with social media, customers can comment on the brand’s page or send them emails to record their complaints and suggestions.
According to Forbes, it’s important to interact with customers through polling responses and direct communications, like chats and questions. One expert says, ‘’These prospects provide a direct window into their behavior and their thinking — not just an activity log. These rich insights reveal more about prospects than the superficial data points marketers have come to rely on, arming marketers with insights to create more personalized journeys and a stronger pipeline.’’
Companies are realizing the importance of listening to customers and fulfilling their demands. In fact, 59% of the marketers in a study strongly agreed that engagement results in a stronger product pipeline.
Companies Need to Hold True to Their Products
According to Forbes, brand authenticity is extremely essential to customers today, most importantly millennials. Today, brands can not merely care about their profits. Rather, they have to make sure they are valuing their customers and showing their concern for other things too.
In doing so, companies need to start identifying their values. Along the way, it might be a requirement to reevaluate some things. However, brands should keep their core principles consistent.
Trying to showcase themselves as something they are not comes off as inauthentic, and customers have started noticing all these things.
More importantly, it is much easier to find information on the internet these days. So, customers are doing their own research. Therefore, it is important for brands to actually mean and practice everything they state on their websites.
Customers Read Company Information on the Website
Another thing reshaping the ecommerce sphere is the interest of consumers in the brands’ websites and brand mission and history. People actually read the information on a brand’s website, and this information helps them formulate a view of the company.
Forbes suggests that it is imperative for every business to have a website in today’s time. For one, it builds your credibility. If, as a business, you do not have a website, people are likely to question your credibility and legitimacy.
Secondly and more importantly, a website helps companies brand themselves. They can communicate everything from this history to the mission on their websites, keeping customers in the loop.
Consumers Buy When Their Interests Align with the Brand’s Mission and Vision
Now that times are changing, customers prefer to buy from brands whose visions and are aligned with their beliefs. That is why many brands are trying to incorporate new tactics into their marketing, advertising, and customer relationship campaigns.
A good example of this is inclusive marketing. Many brands are not drifting away from the idea of only showing ‘conventional’ groups in their marketing campaigns.
For example, Tiffany&Co had same-sex couples in its campaign a few years ago.
In 2021, the company took it up a notch by launching a line of men’s engagement rings. Similarly, other brands have also started focusing on inclusive work environments and marketing campaigns to make sure customers feel closer to them.
Wrapping Things Up
To sum things up, these new online shopping trends and customer behavior are interesting and inclusive, to say the least. Whether it’s Amazon, Walmart, or a small business, every company is trying to make sure their customers feel heard and have their demands met.
More importantly, the retail sector is bound to see a rise in inclusive campaigns and a strong shift towards sustainability and eco-friendliness. While it may seem like not many companies are following through as of today, the trends have begun seeping into the market and are likely to have a ripple effect. Customers want a more green future in all industries, especially in retail and e-commerce.
