Future e-commerce trends for 2024 (not to be overlooked)

We are already in mid-2022 and certain trends have already marked e-commerce during these first six months. The sector in question has mostly progressed: 527 million transactions were recorded in the first quarter of 2022(+5% over one year), sales of services are in the majority (they represent 56% of e-commerce turnover) and the number of merchant sites has increased by 11% over one year (FEVAD).

Between the rise of m-commerce, social selling or the speed of the customer experience, we decipher for you the upcoming trends so that you can make the most of your game, perform on your market and make your sales take off.

The rise of second-hand goods

Clothing, accessories and jewellery are no longer the only products concerned by this trend, which is no longer a trend but a real way of consuming, which is more sustainable. Vinted is no longer the only reference for "online second-hand"; electronic, household appliance and even DIY products are becoming part of second-hand consumption habits. Even if specialised second-hand sites have emerged (Rebuy, YesYes, Rakuten, Momox, etc.), major e-commerce brands have also taken the lead by launching their own second-hand ecommerce platform, such as Seconde Vie by Décathlon or Boulanger Second Life.

The growth of m-commerce

Whether it is a French or a global mobile addiction, the latter has experienced a meteoric rise in the past year and is very promising in 2022. Consumers are making more and more purchases via their smartphones and tablets. In 2021, according to Statista, the transactions carried out via these terminals were valued at 3560 billion dollars against 2910 billion in 2020. The challenge for e-tailers? To make this experience better and more optimal by insisting on the security and visual aspects (especially the texts).

The speed of the customer experience

Directly linked to the customer experience on mobile, the speed of page loading and the simplicity of the customer journey are key elements to retain your consumer at first, and trigger a purchase on their side later on. The elements influencing the speed of the experience are diverse: speed of loading of your website pages, response times of your customer service and online chatbots, delivery times... all aspects that prove the reactivity, simplicity and speed that are so dear to consumers.

Social selling

It's no secret that social networks are no longer just shop windows for brands but also real e-commerce platforms from which we can buy our products directly as consumers. The highly developed "Buy" tab on Instagram offers direct access to the shops of each brand(our client Gémo is a perfect example), as well as videos on how to use and demonstrate products, a selection of editors, collections offered by the brands and thematic guides on product categories, seasons, events, etc. Brands are not shying away from this and they are right to do so.

Finally, video is king in terms of social networks and it is mainly THE format put forward by the TikTok platform where brands can directly show how to use products, stage them...etc.

Environmental and ethical values

The components, raw materials and ways in which the product is designed are no longer an emerging trend but a real way of life and habits that are becoming more deeply embedded in the ways in which buyers consume, such as the importance of remanufacturing discussed earlier. From now on, packaging, delivery and return methods, as well as your company's values and policies are subject to environmental and ethical awareness. Full transparency is needed by informing your consumers: providing them with information about the carbon footprint of the product, its delivery, the materials used for the packaging, the return procedure, etc. has become a reality to be taken into account in your new strategy. The more information there is, the more it shows that you have nothing to hide and that customers can trust you.

Voice assistants and voice shopping

Although very popular in Asia and the United States, and less so in France and Europe, shopping using one's voice with the help of voice assistants is becoming increasingly popular, with sophisticated users.

According to a Hubspot survey of 500 people in the US and UK, 30% of people have used a connected speaker and voice assistants (Siri for Apple, Alexa for Amazon...) to make a purchase. Purchases using voice assistance are also more likely to be made with consumer goods such as food, cleaning, etc. 

One point that should not be overlooked, however, in order to reassure consumers, is the security and protection of their personal data, a major concern that is still relevant for customers in e-commerce. In Anglo-Saxon circles, lessons are already being learned from the experience of voice shopping, which could be further optimised if the digital assistants could quickly learn their consumption habits and frequency.

Digitalisation of B2B catalogues

Digital catalogues will also undergo certain changes in the coming months and will no longer be the exclusive preserve of B2C e-tailers. Although the paper format is still relevant in B2B, some players are benefiting greatly from the digitalisation of the catalogue with their customers.

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The PIM Quable responds to ever-changing sales strategies with Print and Portal solutions that generate constantly enriched product catalogs with reliable, detailed and systematically updated information for sales staff. For example, our customer Lalique, house of crystal, jewelry, perfumes and interior design, has opted for these solutions, and PIM Quable is now their reference tool for their product database. Why not find out more by requesting a demo?

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