E-commerce Trends 2022 and 2023 to Start Planning for Now

October 18th 2022 11:00:00 AM

Albert Einstein said, “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” There is no doubt that the global COVID-19 pandemic qualifies as a crisis. It turned the way many people worked, studied, and shopped on its head. Some people have returned to their place of employment, while others continue to work remotely. One industry that seized the opportunity and found unprecedented success was e-commerce. Sales jumped during lockdowns as consumers embraced online shopping as never before. What can we expect in e-commerce trends as we move into the 2022 Holiday season and into 2023? We have done some research and present the results here.

E-commerce Growth During the Pandemic

E-commerce rang up $870 billion in sales in the US in 2021. This figure represented a jump of 14.2% over 2020 figures and a massive 50.5% increase over 2019. In 2021, e-commerce accounted for 13.2% of all retail sales in the US. (US Department of Commerce Retail Indicator Division)

Fastest Growth Categories of E-Commerce Sales 2019-2021

Consumers were drawn to specific categories when ordering online during the pandemic. The following were the most popular ones and deserve a place when discussing e-commerce trends:

Category Rate of Increase

Furniture, Building Materials, and Electronics 		201.4%
Food and Beverage 					170.8%
Building Materials, Garden Equipment, and Supplies 	105.1%
General Merchandise 					77.5%
Sporting Goods, Hobby Musical Instruments 		70.1%
Health and Personal Care 				67.9%

E-commerce Sales in 2022

In the second quarter of 2022, e-commerce revenue in the US reached $252.14 billion, a slight 7.3% increase from $234.89 billion during the same period the previous year (US Commerce Department). 

It represents less than half of the 15.4% growth levels posted during the second quarter of Q2 in 2021 and is not close to the 53.4% leap during the store closures and lockdowns in Q2 2020.

It must be noted that Q2 2022’s performance didn’t include Amazon’s Prime Day sale. The company moved the date from June to July this year, which means the spike in numbers it would have generated is not included in Q2 figures. 

Retail Sales in the First Half of 2022 by the Numbers

In the first half of 2022, the US retail industry recorded single-digit gains.

• US e-commerce registered $483.46 billion, an increase of 7.0% over the same period in 2021 ($451.63 billion).
• Total retail sales were $2.32 trillion in 2022, 7.0% higher than $2.17 trillion in the first six months of 2021. 
• Digital sales made up 20.9% of the increase in retail spending across all channels.

2022 Holiday Season Predictions

As consumers adjust to a life that will likely include booster shots for COVID without major lockdowns, we will see them move back to in-person shopping. That does not mean the e-commerce market is going to dry up. Far from it! Shoppers still appreciate the ease and convenience of having products shipped directly to their door. They can just as easily arrange to have a gift sent directly to the recipient without wrapping it. At a time of year when everyone is trying to save time, these services become very attractive to consumers. 

More than likely, the new model will include consumers doing a combination of some in-person and some online Holiday shopping. Buyers will likely start early to ensure they can find the items they want before retailers run out of stock.

E-commerce 2023 Trends to Plan For

The New Year will be here before you know it. Which e-commerce trends are likely to be in play in 2023?

• Customers Want More Payment Options

Customers want flexibility when paying for online purchases. If they can’t pay for their items the way they want to when shopping on an e-commerce site, they are not at all shy about clicking away and leaving their carts full. 

Make it easier for customers to complete their purchases by offering several payment options. Give them the chance to save their payment option on the website to make the checkout process even faster the next time they visit your website.

• Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-friendly.

Many shoppers are using their mobile devices to browse online. They like the convenience of being able to use their devices. If your website is not adaptable for mobile or web apps, you could lose out on many potential sales. 

• Develop Customer Loyalty with Subscriptions

Consumers use subscriptions to stay informed about their favorite websites. Savvy e-commerce site owners use subscriptions to tell their customers about upcoming sales and promotions. This strategy is a great way to give your best customers an extra discount on popular items and make them feel like a VIP, which translates into higher revenue. 

• “Click and Collect” Will Continue to Be Popular

This option, where customers pay for a purchase online and then pick it up in-store, became popular during the pandemic and will likely continue. The benefit to business owners is that customers may make other purchases while visiting the brick-and-mortar location.

Sage Warehouse Automation Automates Your Inventory Processes 

There’s no time like the present to automate your company’s inventory processes to prepare for future e-commerce trends. Consumers like ordering products online, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. They have become used to getting their deliveries quickly, and this expectation will not be lowered either.

Scanco’s Sage 100 Warehouse solutions were developed to fit your company’s needs today and are flexible enough to grow with your business. They integrate seamlessly with Sage 100 to make scanning and tracking your inventory easy and convenient.

Whether you choose to start with WMS Essentials or WMS Advanced, you get the following advanced modules included:

• Multi-Bin: to track one item in multiple bins or locations.
• Wave & Directed Picking: group numerous orders from a single screen to optimize the picking process
• Directed Putaway: direct your team to the correct putaway location, saving time and money. 

Would you like to learn more about Sage Warehouse automation and how these solutions can help your business? Contact us online or call (330) 645-9959 to make an appointment with a Scanco Solutions Expert today.