‘Social’ Shopping Drives 2015 Global eRetail Sales to 17% High Says Juniper

Global e-retail sales are expected to grow strongly by more than 17% to reach US$1.7tn this year, as social media companies are increasingly acting as direct sales platforms, which is likely to give an additional boost to online shopping in the long term, a new study from UK market research firm Juniper Research has shown.

The new survey “Mobile & Online Purchases: Cards, Carrier Billing & Third Party Payment Platforms 2015-2020” observed that social media players such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram had already launched ‘buy’ buttons from their mobile apps.

It claimed that such players are also likely to enhance their sales prospects through strategic retailer partnerships.

In terms of delivery, the research argued that online retailers were increasingly adapting to the growing customer demand for faster delivery by introducing same-day deliveries to reduce time-to-consumer.

At the same time, ‘bricks and mortar’ stores now widely offer next-day in-store collection often charging an additional fee for this option.

The research also urged retailers to deliver consistency of message, branding and shopping experience across all channels by integrating in-store and online experience and adjusting to each individual’s omni-channel shopping habits.

A growing trend goes towards a majority of mid-sized and large retailers transitioning to a hybrid approach to maximise their engagement opportunities with consumers, as opposed to pureplay online retailers selling goods exclusively via internet.