Ecommerce Trends 2012
This is part of the 2012 Digital Marketing Trends Series. We have collected opinions from some of the leading experts and practitioners on the hot Ecommerce trends to look out for in 2012, which we hope will provide you with food for thought for your Ecommerce activities next year.
Ecommerce Trends 2012
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Russ Carroll, UK Managing Director, Shopping.com |
 Two key digital trends for ecommerce in 2012 will be the rise in mobile and targeted, personalised marketing. This year has seen a definite synergy between online and offline activity due to the proliferation of smartphones and tablets in everyday life. With one in ten retail searches now made on mobile devices, retailers will work to offer the best online and offline option to shoppers at any given time. This includes such initiatives as location based digital vouchers that are redeemable in store, the option to reserve and collect, and in store kiosks that allow shoppers to order out of stock items online. On top of this retailers will become increasingly targeted in the way they communicate with consumers. This area has already grown by a huge amount in 2011 and will become even more sophisticated in 2012. Ecommerce marketers will need to personalise outreach so that shoppers receive product information and offers that are relevant and timely to them.  |
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| Jocelyn Kirby, Head of Marketing at Metakinetic |
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 Ecommerce is experiencing an exciting time right now with numerous innovations and technological advancements, but what is going to be really hot in 2012?
There’s talk that this could be the M-commerce Christmas we have been waiting for. I’m not convinced. However, I do think 2012 could be the year that M-commerce really takes off. It’s easier for more retailers to go mobile, with mobile ecommerce technology more affordable and readily available AND consumers showing an increasing propensity to rely upon their mobiles to support all aspects of their everyday lives. Coupled with this, the integration of QR codes with the shopping experience could see a new type of spontaneous shopper, which could also lead to a reinvention of the outdoor media industry – bringing clear measurability not commonly associated with this type of media. In contrast, I think we will also see an increase in ‘shopping from the sofa’, and not the laptop type we have grown accustomed to. We are experiencing a growing convergence of internet and app technologies with home entertainment equipment such as televisions and media players. As the adoption of this new breed of media spirals, we will see more consumers turning to their televisions as an easy option for shopping online, bringing with it yet more opportunities for online retailers to reach out to their target audience. |
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Michael Ross, Director, eCommera |
| Online retail has transformed the way customers shop and the way retailers operate. With online sales to grow by 18 per cent in 2011, mobile sales pushing 7 per cent and ‘click and collect’ sales reaching 8 per cent, the shift is undeniable and will continue into 2012.
It is imperative for retailers to understand and respond to the critical drivers of change. Already we can see those that have reacted quickly and strategically to embrace the new retailing paradigm, and the catastrophic demise of those who haven’t. Technology has given birth to online giants. They have grown up quietly over the past fifteen years while the rest of the retail world was still focussed on the store – but they now represent a threat to every single retailer. Amazon, foremost among the giants, is the competitor. Retailers either compete with Amazon today or will in the future. The trick to stepping out of the shadow of the giant is to formulate a proposition that is not about price and to add value at every step in order to create an exceptional multichannel experience. So while life might be more complicated for retailers, for consumers – who are holding all the power – life looks pretty good for 2012. |
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| Dean Browell, Executive Vice President of Feedback |
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Ecommerce has had one of the biggest shifts in recent years with the integration of social elements such as reviews and recommendations and 2012 will build on that. Consider that nearly every consumer, buying nearly any product or service, can expect to find some sort of rating or review system prior to his or her purchase. These rating systems are built into all major online retailing systems but in 2012 we will see them come to even the smallest of ecommerce software and etailers. While on its face ratings and reviews may mean some products and services are derided, smart ecommerce players will use the tremendous data for inventory and bulk purchasing decisions as well as custom recommendations in ways that only the largest online shops had realized before now. On a larger scale, the socialization of search will come to ecommerce with consumers finding results prioritized by the brands and products their friends “Like” or endorse elsewhere.  |
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Rob Mathieson, MD at digital agency AYO Media |
| I believe the main key trend for ecommerce in 2012 will be the implementation of advanced payment methods into hardware. This includes paying for physical products using technologies such as NFC (Near Field Communications), but also making secure payments directly from a device to an ecommerce platform. Platforms such as Paypass, by Mastercard, will help drive through this process, which is already accepted by a lot of high street retailers. Allowing faster payment for products bought online will also improve this. Google is offering its Wallet service in conjunction with Mastercard, which offers huge opportunities when integrated with the current payment platform.
Another key trend will be the growth of video within ecommerce sites. Large firms such as ASOS have been offering this service for a while, allowing consumers to see the product first, but there are now a large number of smaller retailers who are looking to use this technology within their sites. There has been growth in the number of businesses who specifically offer video services for this purpose. |
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Download our full free Digital Marketing Trends 2012 Report.
