Remember the turn of the Millennium when we predicted ecommerce would take off? Now we can’t imagine shopping without it. So if e-commerce is now genuinely mainstream, what are our expectations for 2014?
By Philip Rooke, CEO of Spreadshirt
T-commerce
Buying from tablets started to happen in 2013 and we think this trend will pick up in 2014, but not necessarily in the straight-forward way we first thought.
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It seems that the shopping process often involves; browsing on a tablet, visiting the store to look at the product ‘in real life’ and then buying online, having compared costs, probably using a laptop.
This has fundamentally changed the way that customers browse for shopping ideas and it means that they have better ways to look at their options and buy.
As a side note on this, wearable tech will definitely have a big year in 2014 with lots of new gadgets launched, but we don’t expect it to go mainstream just yet.
Wish Lists
The t-commerce phenomenon will see a rise in the use of wish lists in 2014 we think. Being able to browse, store and share liked products to buy later, will become a key part of the online shopping process.
Browsing is happening everywhere now, in all sorts of previously unused time spots. We expect to see an increase in sales through sharing and third-party sites, as consumers click on ideas that their virtual friends have shared.
The retailer will have to work hard to harness the power of wish lists in 2014.
Mega Markets
Amazon, eBay and Rakutan are becoming search engines for shopping and recommendations and I think that will grow in 2014. Better user experiences online have changed browsing habits, moving them out of the store.
Being able to compare prices is also an advantage of online megamarkets. Our relationship with Amazon has opened up a new way of selling our shop-partners’ designs in other retailer outlets and marketplaces.
We expect this type of partnership to grow in 2014.
Rapid delivery
We see shipping and the drive towards ever more rapid delivery, like the same day services growing in major cities and the moonshot idea from Amazon to use drones to deliver. I love this idea, I want one!
It does seem impractical though, what happens if the package gets lost? I loved this spoof ‘while you were out’ card!
At the moment drone technology does not seem to stack up against the motorbike in terms of costs, weather proofing, security and reaching the majority of customers. So while customers do want rapid delivery for certain items, it will probably happen on the back of a motorbike in 2014.
Shipping
The website may be available everywhere, but can you get your product delivered? I think e-commerce retailers will be looking to ship further afield in 2014, but will have to focus on who’s doing the delivering.
Good shipping is about managing for the best and expecting the worse, especially at peak times. Better to promise longer delivery and surprise the customer by a day, than have a frustrated or worried customer.
Even off-peak, good shipping is about testing the alternatives to get the best value for customers in terms of service vs. cost, and then managing the customer’s expectation to exceed that value.
Whatever the top stories are, now that e-commerce has caught the public attention, there is always something to be working on to improve your offering. 2014 will definitely be a busy year for online retailers.
For more visit: www.spreadshirt.co.uk
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