eCommerce has transformed the way businesses are done in the UK. By the time you will reach the end of this post, many people around the world would’ve completed several online transactions. Online purchasing not only spares you from going out but also keeps you from the hassles of searching for products in physical stores. With some of the biggest online marketplaces like Amazon,eBay, Asos, Currys PC World, and Argos in the UK, entrepreneurs undoubtedly have the most lucrative eCommerce business opportunities at the moment.
Though the eCommerce industry was rising year by year, it has reached a new high post the Covid-19 situation due to the growing demand for essentials and non-essential products. It’s not all bad news, either. In October 2022, the entire amount of UK eCommerce sales reached a staggering £2.2 billion, and this year, 35.9% of the country’s total retail sales will be made online.
To understand more about the future of eCommerce in the UK, let’s look at the factors that will continue to drive its growth.
Factors Driving eCommerce Growth
New Shopping Habits
People’s way of buying products has changed over the past two years. Though it happened out of necessity, the pattern has persisted long enough for it to become ingrained. People won’t suddenly stop shopping from the physical stores, but they would venture out more for other activities. Most people will opt for the comforting feeling of shopping online.
The Fear of Covid-19 Will Last Long
According to the UK’s rigorous lockdown regulations, COVID-19 prompted the closure of non-essential retail establishments in the middle of 2020 and throughout 2021, according to eCommerce data. Although 2022 witnessed a greater return to normalcy, the pandemic’s consequences continue to this day.
People would prefer shopping from the safety of their homes instead of going out in public to purchase something available on online marketplaces. The fear of the pandemic is not going to fade overnight, which will be a solid reason for the growing sales of eCommerce platforms.
The Growing Use of Mobile Devices
The increasing use of mobile devices across the country is making browsing and shopping easier than earlier. Customers are likely to purchase things online when they always have a mobile device that is likely in their pocket at all times.
Items Unavailable in a Nearby Store Can be Ordered Online
Things from sanitisers and masks that are most used these days might be out of stock in the nearby stores. Since there are several online platforms, you don’t have to wait till the store gets the items in stock. You can simply place an online order and skip the hassles of waiting.
eCommerce Trends to Watch Out For in 2023
While many factors will continue to drive the future of eCommerce in the UK, let’s have a look at what eCommerce trends are likely to take over the market in 2023.
The eCommerce industry was growing at a consistent speed, but eCommerce future trends are a great help in bringing onboard first-time customers providing greater opportunities for existing marketplaces, as well as start-ups. Some of the key eCommerce trends you can expect to witness this year include:
Omni-Channel Strategy
Just like traditional offline channels widely adopt online channels to create a market presence among customers, the reverse is expected to take place this year. Online eCommerce channels look forward to expanding their footprint through popular offline brand stores.
Video Marketing
The video has grown in importance as a marketing medium, and recent data from Google indicates that 55% of consumers watch videos before making a purchase. Consumers are using video while in-store to make decisions about products, in addition to being affected by it when they are buying online.
Video marketing is becoming an effective way to kick awareness and information about the products and services offered online, with compelling visuals and subtitles in the background. Right from product demonstration videos to story and testimonial videos, leading brands are targeting social media platforms to display video content to promote their products and optimize brand reach.
Digitised Business Opportunities
Whether we talk about big brands or newly established ones, pandemics proved that digitised business operations are required to build a strong enterprise. This year, even the biggest brands in the market have taken the digitised route for their business which is doing wonders for them.
Tech Adoption
Considering the need for providing an improved shopping experience and a flawless eCommerce platform, many eCommerce platforms are deploying the latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Virtual Reality, Machine Learning, etc. Technology adoption will be a strong eCommerce trend that will be a key reason for the growth of online platforms across the country.
Apart from these trends, companies that capture the market by providing a one-stop shop for everything will ensure long-term and sustainable growth in today’s highly competitive market.
While offering an advanced shopping platform is important, it’s equally important to deliver the goods to the end customers in the quickest time. NimbusPost, the UK’s leading shipping aggregator with a network of 15+ courier partners, offers logistics services across the UK Mainland and offshore postcodes. Backed by AI and other latest technologies, the automation platform ensures your customers have a good shopping experience by delivering products to their doorstep in the best condition. Being a seller-friendly logistics platform, NimbusPost offers the smartest shipping automation solution to ensure you have the finest technology at hand for uninterrupted business operations.
