Introduction

In recent years, ecommerce has seen tremendous growth. eMarketer projects that global ecommerce sales will surpass $5 trillion for the first time in 2022, making up over one-fifth of all retail sales. This surge has been largely driven by the global pandemic, which has changed consumer shopping habits. The simple act of walking into a store, browsing, and paying with cash has evolved into a complex journey with numerous touchpoints across digital and physical spaces. Technological advancements are further transforming how we experience shopping.

As we enter a new era of ecommerce, brands must adapt to the key forces influencing consumer behavior and make informed decisions to meet their needs. This report from BigCommerce aims to offer that guidance by highlighting current trends in consumer purchasing behaviors and emerging trends that are set to change the shopping landscape.

Executive Summary

• Online Shopping Frequency: Over half of consumers shop online at least once a week (55%), with fashion and apparel being the most popular purchases. Free shipping is the most preferred discount.
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): Consumers use BNPL to manage their budgets, with higher-income individuals finding it particularly convenient.
• Personalized Shopping: Consumers desire personalized shopping experiences and advertisements and are willing to share their email, gender, and name with brands.
• Brand Values: Honesty and transparency are the top brand values for consumers, followed closely by fair wages and benefits for employees.
• Sustainability: While 84% of consumers consider sustainability important when making purchases, they are less likely to pay more for sustainable items. Instead, they prefer brands’ sustainability efforts, such as specific delivery days.
• Metaverse Awareness: About 26% of consumers understand the Metaverse, and nearly half (46%) are willing to shop there. Of those, 51% are interested in purchasing both virtual and physical goods.
• NFTs and Cryptocurrency: Though most consumers are unfamiliar with NFTs, Gen Z and higher-income individuals show the strongest understanding and interest, particularly in music NFTs. Only 5% of consumers currently use cryptocurrency, but they are more likely to use it if brands offer it as a payment option.

Let’s explore these trends and what the future of ecommerce holds.

Current Trends Shaping the Way Consumers Shop

When, Where, and What Are Consumers Buying Online?

To gain insights into the ecommerce surge, BigCommerce surveyed consumers about their online shopping frequency and product preferences. Additionally, Google provided search trends to illustrate how consumers discover and purchase new products.

Frequent Online Shopping: Over half of the respondents shop online at least once a week, with many doing so multiple times weekly. Given that people are shopping on Google over a billion times daily, this frequent online shopping isn’t surprising. A study by Google and BCG also found that, on average, 80% of new customers and 64% of existing customers engage with a digital touchpoint during their shopping journey.

Immediate Actions Post-Discovery: Once consumers find a product that piques their interest, they quickly take the next step. According to Google feed consumer insights research conducted with Ipsos, 91% of Google feed users took some kind of action immediately after discovering new products, services, or brands. These actions included visiting a brand’s website for more information or purchasing directly from an offer.

Popular Product Categories: Fashion and apparel are the most popular categories for online shopping, with 80% of survey respondents purchasing items in this category. Electronics and entertainment/media followed, with 56% and 55%, respectively. Conversely, the least popular categories included automotive and boating (14%), investment trends (15%), luxury apparel (19%), and baby and toddler products (19%).

Dive deep into the latest trends and future forecasts. Download the “Global Consumer Report: Current and Future Shopping Trends” now and stay ahead in the ecommerce game!

Related report: Global Consumer Trends Report | BigCommerce

The Table of Contents of “The Global Consumer Report: Current and Future Shopping Trends”:

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Executive Summary
• Current Trends Shaping the Way Consumers Shop
• When, Where, and What Are Consumers Buying Online?
• What Factors Influence Purchasing Decisions?
• How Do Brand Values Impact Trust and Loyalty?
• Trends Poised to Transform the Future of Commerce
• Are Consumers Ready to Shop on the Metaverse?
• How Familiar are Consumers with NFTs?
• Do Consumers Want to Pay with Cryptocurrency?
• Conclusion
• References

Number of Pages:

• 31 pages

Pricing: 

• Free

Methodology

BigCommerce enlisted Profitwell to conduct a consumer survey in March 2022. There were 4,224 participants total across the United States (1,698), United Kingdom (685), Italy (687), France (627) and Australia (527).

Qualifications to participate were that they were at least 18 years old and must engage in online shopping at least once per year.
BigCommerce has also partnered with Google to contribute additional search trends and data to accompany our research on the trends shaping the way consumers shop.

All data referenced in this report is sourced from the BigCommerce consumer survey unless otherwise cited. Unless otherwise indicated, the report highlights aggregated data.