#10things about your future shopper you need to know

In recent research by Wunderman Thompson Commerce for their Future Shopper Report 2022, 30,000 global online consumers were surveyed from 18 different countries, including South Africa. The study by Wunderman Thompson South Africa, as part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce’s Future Shopper Report 2022, also reinforced how online shopping sites, shopping apps, marketplaces and social media are driving ecommerce; and explored what motivated local online shoppers through the purchase journey, from buyer intent to final orders. In summary, these are the data highlights of Future Shopper 2022, according to Wunderman Thompson Commerce:

1. Online shopping has increased, and will continue to rise

57% of spending is currently online

54% – the percentage consumers predict they will spend online in a post-COVID-19 world

60% of global shoppers said they will increase their usage of digital shopping channels in the future

72% of consumers said they are more comfortable using technology than before the COVID-19 outbreak – up from 60% last year.

2. WFH is changing consumer behaviour

60% of shoppers said they want their future work habits to include more working from home (WFH)

62% of global consumers said they have discovered new brands and retailers as a consequence of working from home more.

3. Digital and instantly downloadable products are increasingly in demand

49% of global shoppers said they would prefer their online purchases to be digital and instantly downloadable

38% of everything bought online is a digital product or service.

4. Consumers want omnichannel experiences

60% of global shoppers said they prefer to shop with a retailer or brand that has both digital and physical stores

36% of global consumers are still frightened about shopping in-store, down from 41% in 2021

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands must work harder to stop attrition and improve experience – from inspiration 14%, search 15% and purchase 7%.

5. The number one channel is marketplaces

34% of global shoppers get their inspiration from marketplaces – ahead of search engines in second position (31%)

36% of global shoppers start their search on marketplaces – ahead of search engines in second position (30%)

35% of all online shopping globally is via marketplaces – down from 42% last year, but still ahead of supermarkets and grocers at 17%

However, it’s not all good news, as marketplaces are losing some ground, as the number of channels proliferate.

6. Consumers are demanding and intolerant – improve the online shopping experience

62% of global shoppers wish that online shopping was more entertaining

58% of shoppers said they would not shop with a retailer, brand or marketplace that does not meet their expectations

Across every criteria we asked, marketplaces were seen as offering the best experience.

7. When it comes to the consumer journey, speed is of the essence

80% of global consumers want to get from inspiration to purchase as quickly as possible. It’s what we call “Compressed Commerce”

64% of global consumers are excited by the prospect of buying everything through one retailer.

8. Service is key – delivery is a major battleground

The number one thing consumers would change about online shopping is “faster delivery” – 24% of consumers expect their online orders to be delivered in less than 2 hours

70% of consumers said they wished that retailers and brands offered similar services to Amazon Prime

23% of everything that global shoppers order online is returned

39% of global shoppers admitted to over-ordering with the intent of returning unwanted items.

9. Social commerce is on the rise – but we need to nail ‘in-app’ purchasing

65% of global shoppers said they have already bought through social media platforms – up from 44% in 2021

56% of global consumers said they do not want to leave a social media platform to complete a transaction

53% of consumers intend to spend more through social media platforms in the future

46% of global consumers said they have already used livestream commerce to purchase products on online.

10. Sustainability is a growing consideration for online shoppers, yet consumer conflict prevails

65% of global consumers said ethics and morals play an important role in their online purchase decision-making

61% of global shoppers said that they like to shop with brands and retailers who have a purpose which goes beyond just selling products and services

43% of consumers claim to have opted for environmentally friendly delivery options (for example Amazon Day Delivery).

For more: TRENDING – Most SA shoppers want a better retail experience.

*To download the full report on consumer shopping behaviour and online commerce worldwide, visit Wunderman Thompson Commerce’s Future Shopper Report 2022. Wunderman Thompson South Africa plans to host a Future Shopper 2022 online event in due course to unpack the South African shopper results in more detail for the local market, so watch this space!

Main image credit: Pexels.com.

– Receive the Retailing Africa newsletter every week • Subscribe here.