Throughout the pandemic, e-commerce has established itself as the new retail norm. More than 8 in 10 Prosumers tell us they prefer the online shopping experience to traditional forms of purchasing. But as e-commerce continues to grow and evolve, it might have lost its lustre, with 1 out of 3 respondents claiming: \u201cBuying online is convenient, but most of my e-commerce experiences are really boring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drawing on responses from 3,000 consumers in Brazil, China, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, this survey examines the future of the e-commerce experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the key findings:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The new rules of e-commerce:<\/strong>\u00a0COVID-19\u2019s impact has placed enormous pressure on e-tailers to upgrade their services: free shipping & returns, fast delivery, and easily accessed customer ratings have become a basic cost of entry. But to make a difference, nice-to-haves have emerged, including loyalty discounts (87% of Prosumers consider them important), recommendations based on past purchases (77%), and offering a variety of payment options (43%). Brands have an opportunity to compete not just on convenience and flexibility but on inspiration and experience. Nearly half of Prosumers (47%) would like to be able to create \u201cinspiration boards on-site.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Purpose beyond clicks: <\/strong>E-commerce is no longer just about business transactions; it\u2019s about customer empowerment. Just over 7 in 10 Prosumers (71%) \u201cexpect tech companies like Alibaba and Amazon to inform and empower\u201d shoppers \u201cto make the right choices.\u201d It is about doing right not just for the customer but for society. Over 8 in 10 Prosumers (83%) want to see more eco-friendly packaging, while around half (51%) expect delivery services to be as green as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operating on the right side of data privacy:<\/strong> Privacy is a top priority for 94% of Prosumers, not only for themselves but for their children. Almost 9 in 10 Prosumers indicated they are \u201cvigilant with [their] children so they avoid sharing their data on the internet.\u201d And 76% are prepared to boycott brands that are overly intrusive. So, what\u2019s the new trade-off? Prosumers are willing to share their data with brands provided they get something in return, such as better customer service (45% agreed) or financial compensation (53%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n From a place to shop to a place to socialise:\u00a0<\/strong>Making the e-commerce experience more human should include increased opportunities for interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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