US Key Elements of eCommerce Report 2025
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Ultimately, all of the key elements of ecommerce – convenience, seamlessness, personalization and emerging tech – shape the ideal online experience. Understanding what matters most to consumers helps companies refine their strategies.
While convenience remains the top priority for online shoppers, this element saw an 11 point dip compared to 2021 with other elements seeing increases. This shows how online shopping is moving away from a purely transaction-focused journey to one that feels tailored to each shopper.
Over three-quarters (86%) of consumers shop online at least monthly, demonstrating how important the ecommerce environment is to retail overall. Brands and retailers need to be prepared to offer a personalized and convenient experience where consumers can choose to shop how and where they want.
AI is quickly changing the retail landscape and the evolution will continue rapidly. This is a strong opportunity for brands as AI will support all the key elements and keep up with consumers’ evolving expectation of an elevated online shopping journey.
With a saturated market, brands must stand out against heavy competition. Knowing consumers better allows brands to offer tailored products and experiences that meet individual needs.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The impact of the current economic environment on ecommerce
- Consumer’s priorities around convenience, seamlessness, personalization and emerging tech
- Online shopping behaviors centered around the key elements
- Attitudes towards the key elements
- How brands are using the key elements to enhance their online experiences
The ecommerce landscape continues to evolve. Advancements in convenience, seamlessness, personalization and tech will shape the next evolution of online shopping.
Katie Hansen, Senior Analyst – Retail & eCommerce
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
The four key elements of ecommerce are defined as:
Convenience: The ability to shop online and easily find, purchase, and receive items.
Seamless Shopping: The ability to shop online and in-store with the same brand/retailer.
Personalization: The ability to have online shopping experiences tailored based on personal preferences or past purchases.
Emerging Technology: The ability to use new technology to interact with brands and products online.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- The vast majority of consumers rely on ecommerce in some way
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Each element will play a part in shaping the future of online shopping
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Consumers seem cautiously optimistic about their personal financial situations which could lead to higher spending
- Annual inflation rose again in December
- Graph 1: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Households’ outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 2: opinions on financial future, 2024
- Graph 3: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Younger generations will help foster a new wave of technological evolution
- Graph 4: estimated percent of population by generation in 2029
- Enhanced data protection could lead to more data sharing from consumers – leading to improved personalized online experiences
- Market landscape
- eCommerce sales continue to rise as consumers frequently shop online
- The vast majority of consumers rely on frequent online purchases, with few consumers shopping less than once a month
- Graph 5: online shopping frequency, 2024
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Ranking the key elements
- Convenience remains a priority, but other elements are becoming increasingly important to consumers
- Shifts in consumers’ focus highlight how all the elements work together
- Graph 6: ranking the key elements, 2024
- Graph 7: ranking the key elements, 2020
- Personalization and technology are critical to younger generations’ online shopping journey
- Graph 8: ranking the key elements – 1st ranking, by generation, 2024
- Black and Hispanic consumers want more personalization from brands
- Graph 9: ranking the key elements – 1st ranking, by race and ethnicity, 2024
- Perceptions of the key elements
- Consumers are fond of how new technology is shaping the retail landscape
- Tech, personalization and physical retail work together to create a convenient online shopping journey
- Graph 10: perceptions of the key elements, 2024
- Personalization and physical retail are imperative to the online experience
- Perplexity taps into AI to power personalized online shopping
- Younger consumers shop with whom they want and where they want
- Graph 11: perceptions of the key elements – convenience and seamlessness, by generation, 2024
- Personalization builds loyalty with younger consumers; tech leads to elevated experiences
- Graph 12: perceptions of the key elements – personalization and technology, by generation, 2024
- Online shopping behaviors
- Comparison shopping can eat into consumers’ valuable time
- Graph 13: online shopping behaviors, 2024
- Google Shopping equips shoppers with knowledge, options and recommendations
- Personalized notifications, ads can work harder for brands and retailers
- Younger consumers seek personalized, seamless online experiences
- Graph 14: online shopping behaviors, by generation, 2024
- Brands can get dad’s attention with transparency, personalized offers
- Graph 15: online shopping behaviors, by parental status and gender, 2024
- Multicultural consumers are interested in features that tailor the process to them
- Graph 16: online shopping behaviors, by race or ethnicity, 2024
- Attitudes
- Consumers expect the online shopping experience to continue on a positive trajectory
- Consumers expect the online shopping process to continue to improve
- Graph 17: attitudes, any agree – the experience, by generation, 2024
- Safety and support are key to consumers adopting tech
- Technology will enhance the online experience but consumers still need support in using it
- Graph 18: attitudes, any agree – technology, by generation , 2024
- Brands can win consumers with cost savings, diverse media strategies, and simplified shopping
- Consumers seek savings, smart strategies and simplified shopping
- Graph 19: attitudes, any agree – general, by generation, 2024
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Marketing and advertising
- Walmart puts convenience at the heart of its strategy to engage with younger consumers
- Outlandish retail combines the best of physical and digital presence
- A new app is personalizing the way consumers cross off their to-do list
- Google Shopping gets its game on with AI assistance
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumers purchase a wide range of items from digital shelves
- Graph 20: categories purchased online, 2024
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