“The acceleration of ecommerce led to rise in digital fluency and a wave of tech innovations. Emerging technology continues to evolve, as brands and consumers test the waters of AR, VR and AI. As the pandemic narrative shifts, consumers are prioritizing tech, which adds convenience and efficiency to their online shopping journey; Web 3 and the metaverse hold promise for the next evolution of the shopping experience.”
– Britany Steiger, Senior Analyst – Retail & eCommerce
This Report looks at the following areas
- Consumer usage of technology for shopping and personal use
- Consumer awareness and interest in evolving forms of ecommerce technology
- Motivations and barriers to consumers’ use of technology for online shopping
- Types of emerging technology consumers are interested in
- Role of technology in online shopping behaviors
- Consumer attitudes toward ecommerce technology
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Overview
- What you need to know
- This Report looks at the following areas
- Definition
- Market context
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Figure 1: Total US retail ecommerce sales and fan chart forecast, at current prices, 2016-26
- Figure 2: eCommerce technology outlook, 2022-27
- Opportunities and challenges
- Deliver on practical features that enable convenience and seamlessness
- Mobile shopping opens up new pathways for convenience and multichannel shopping
- Privacy a top concern for consumers that creates challenges for marketers
- Key consumer insights
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Market Size and Forecast
- Continued growth for ecommerce, but pace slows as the market stabilizes
- Figure 3: Total US retail ecommerce sales and fan chart forecast, at current prices, 2016-26
- Figure 4: Total US retail and ecommerce sales and forecast, at current prices, 2016-26
- Continued growth for ecommerce, but pace slows as the market stabilizes
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Market Factors
- Inflation takes a bite out of purchasing power
- Figure 5: 12-month percentage change, Consumer Price Index for all items, 2021-22
- Figure 6: Disposable personal income change from previous period, 2007-22
- Privacy regulations shift the landscape for marketers
- Mobile is leading digital transformation
- Digital innovation opens up new frontiers
- Climate change escalates concerns about the environmental footprint of ecommerce
- Inflation takes a bite out of purchasing power
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Competitive Strategies and Market Opportunities
- Competitive strategies
- Walmart is an industry leader on emerging technology
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- Figure 7: Walmart highlights tech offerings
- IKEA inspires its customers to get creative with AR
- Figure 8: IKEA launches “Kreativ” design experience; tests innovation with “Updatables” concept
- Brands hedge their bets on metaverse experiences
- Figure 9: Brands lean into NFTs and the metaverse
- Market opportunities
- Streamline and revolutionize digital payments and checkout
- Gain trust with transparent communication about privacy and security
- Get conversational with SMS and shop by text or voice
- Figure 10: Attentive + Erin Condren demonstrate SMS shopping features
- Leverage partnerships and acquisitions
- Take full advantage of social commerce
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- Figure 11: Pinterest and Twitter announce new updates to shopping functionality
- Competitive strategies
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The Consumer – Fast Facts
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Online Shopping Overview
- A majority of consumers are heavy online shoppers
- Figure 12: Shopping frequency – NET, by generation, 2022
- Mobile shopping is on the rise as smartphone screen time grows
- Figure 13: Devices used for browsing and buying, 2022
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- Figure 14: Devices used for buying, by generation, 2022
- Consumers shop online across categories, but the store remains the preferred channel for most
- Figure 15: Shopping methods by category, 2022
- Apparel, BPC and Electronics are the categories most often shopped online
- Figure 16: Brands and retailers leverage tech tools to create solutions
- Household purchases and food and drink still widely shopped online but lag other categories
- Figure 17: Uber Eats rolls out improvements to grocery delivery
- A majority of consumers are heavy online shoppers
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Key Elements of eCommerce
- Convenience and seamlessness remain the top drivers for online shopping
- Figure 18: Importance of key elements when shopping online, 2022
- Younger consumers expect more from the online shopping experience
- Figure 19: Top two ranking of key elements when shopping online, by generation, 2022
- Opportunity to engage Black and Hispanic consumers with personalization
- Figure 20: Top two ranking of key elements when shopping online, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
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- Figure 21: Pinterest and Walmart make personalization more inclusive
- Convenience and seamlessness remain the top drivers for online shopping
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Technology Familiarity and Interest
- Familiarity with tech is growing; interest remains high but may be waning
- Figure 22: Technology familiarity and interest, 2022
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- Figure 23: Technology familiarity and usage, any familiarity or interest, 2022
- Younger generations lead the way on emerging technology
- Figure 24: Technology interest, by generation, 2022
- Black consumers are excited about technology
- Figure 25: Technology Interest, Black consumers versus all, 2022
- Familiarity with tech is growing; interest remains high but may be waning
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How Consumers Use Technology
- Consumers shop using tech they are most familiar with
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- Figure 26: Technologies used while shopping, 2022
- Consumers are more likely to use tech for leisure and entertainment
- Figure 27: Tech used for shopping and leisure activities, 2022
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- Figure 28: Walmart, Gucci and Snapchat highlight retail/tech partnerships
- Older consumers shop online but are slow to adopt technology
- Figure 29: Technologies used while shopping, 2022
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- Figure 30: Amazon educates consumers on how to use features for Prime Day
- Parents see the benefits of technology
- Figure 31: Technologies used while shopping, by parental status, 2022
- Young males explore emerging tech, Web3 and the metaverse
- Figure 32: Select technologies used for shopping versus personal leisure, by gender and age, 2022
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- Figure 33: Timberland, Valaclava appeal to early adopters with metaverse experiences and NFTs
- Consumers shop using tech they are most familiar with
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Motivations and Barriers
- Motivations: tech enables discovery and simplification
- Figure 34: Motivations for using new tech, 2022
- Most consumers want a streamlined shopping experience
- Figure 35: Motivations for using new tech – Streamlined shopping, by generation, 2022
- Parents look to ecommerce for convenience and discovery
- Figure 36: Motivations for using new tech – Convenience and discovery, by parental status, 2022
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- Figure 37: Crayola “Create and Play” app
- Gen Z and Millennials enjoy the experience
- Figure 38: Motivations for using new tech – Experiential, by generation, 2022
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- Figure 39: e.l.f. Cosmetics launches “Game Up” collection across social media channels
- Higher-income shoppers want seamless and secure checkout
- Figure 40: Motivations to use new tech – Checkout and security, by age and household income, 2022
- Barriers: privacy concerns and lack of interest are top challenges
- Figure 41: Barriers to using tech, 2022
- Older consumers lack interest in technology; digital natives are skeptical on the benefits
- Figure 42: Select barriers to using new technology, by generation, 2022
- Black and Hispanic consumers are interested in tech, but internet speed is a barrier
- Figure 43: Select barriers to using new technology, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
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- Figure 44: Procter & Gamble’s “One Million Connected Devices Now” addresses digital divide
- Motivations: tech enables discovery and simplification
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Attitudes toward eCommerce Technology
- Shopping technology is a “nice to have”
- Figure 45: Attitudes toward shopping technology, 2022
- Tech options more likely to influence where young consumers shop
- Figure 46: Attitudes toward shopping technology, by generation, 2022
- Mobile shopping sees the biggest benefit from tech
- Figure 47: Attitudes toward shopping technology, by devices used, 2022
- Consumers are mastering the art of shopping online
- Figure 48: Attitudes toward shopping online, by generation, 2022
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- Figure 49: Nike + RTFKT forging event leverages NFTs to authenticate products
- Interest in alternative payments and cryptocurrency is gaining
- Figure 50: Attitudes toward shopping online, by key demographics, 2022
- Consumers are satisfied with the online shopping experience
- Figure 51: Attitudes toward elements of ecommerce, 2022
- Gen Z sees the most room for improvement
- Figure 52: Attitudes toward elements of ecommerce – Generation Z, 2022
- Shopping technology is a “nice to have”
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Improving the Shopping Journey with Tech
- Technology adds convenience and seamlessness
- Figure 53: Online shopping improvements, by generation, 2022
- Parents have a need for more information
- Figure 54: Select online shopping improvements, by parental status, 2022
- Young and multicultural consumers want a deeper connection with brands
- Figure 55: Select online shopping improvements, by generation and race or Hispanic origin, 2022
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- Figure 56: Browser extensions GoodBuy and Progressive Shopper raise awareness of brand values
- Technology adds convenience and seamlessness
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Future Applications
- Consumers want tech features to solve common frustrations
- Figure 57: Desired future online experiences, 2022
- Gen Z looks to the future of ecommerce
- Figure 58: Select desired future online experiences, by generation, 2022
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- Figure 59: Neen bridges the gap between physical and digital experiences
- Live stream and metaverse experiences an opportunity to create inclusive communities
- Figure 60: Select desired future online experiences, by race and Hispanic origin and sexual orientation, 2022
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- Figure 61: Meta highlights its efforts to build an inclusive metaverse
- Figure 62: NYX Cosmetics creates inclusive avatars on The Sandbox platform
- Consumers want tech features to solve common frustrations
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Data sources
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Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 63: Total US retail and ecommerce sales and forecast, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2016-26
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 64: Categories that could be most improved with tech, 2022
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