Ecommerce is growing faster than just about any industry, and, according to The Wall Street Journal, consumers now make more than half — 51% — of all their purchases online.
The United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) released a study, noting that for the first time in history, consumers purchased more products on the Internet than physically in stores. The survey recorded the shopping habits of more than 5,000 consumers over a five-year period for everything but grocery shopping, which is still done primary in-store.
The results of the survey show the rapid increase of online shopping over the years.
“There’s been a dramatic shift,” said Steve Osburn, retail advisor for Kurt Salmon. “Over time, people are getting more and more comfortable shopping online.”
Shopping online even experiences major variations. What used to be done on laptops and desktops is expanding to mobile.
Wholly 64% of smartphone users are shopping with their phones online now as well. According to Campaign, social media apps largely contribute to mobile commerce. A full 64% of daily Snapchat users, 56% of daily Instagram users, and 35% of daily Facebook users engage in mobile commerce.
“Our mobile is always by our side,” said Jason Morse, Vice President of mobile products at Criteo. “It is the one consistent factor in all elements of the online and offline shopping experience today.”
Morse believes that because people are using their smartphones to shop more than ever, and those devices are always near the consumer, advertising agencies are going to have to adjust their ways of promoting products and encouraging transactions.
“These emotional factors further emphasize how important it is that brands can deliver contextual creative experiences, messaging and advertising, that respond to individuals’ needs and desires, in the moment, wherever they are and however they’re feeling,” Mores added. “Non-intrusive, relevant and personalized ads in a native context are key to maximizing conversions and driving mobile performance.”
