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16 Amazing Online Shopping Trends from Around the World

Tips / 23.10.2024

The online shopping space is experiencing drastic growth reaching trillions of dollars worldwide. Some estimates expect e-commerce sales to exceed $6.3 trillion in 2024, while others anticipate expenditure to reach $11 trillion.

While established markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and countries in Europe will continue to see growth, some of the fastest growth is expected to be seen in Latin America and Asia-Pacific countries. But do these global online sales share commonalities?

The answer is yes and they’re manifesting in important online shopping trends that online retailers need to be aware of. Below, we highlight a few of the most prominent ones to help you give your online shoppers an amazing shopping experience so that they continue returning to your store. Let’s dive in.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Mobile Commerce (m-Commerce)

With the rise of smartphone usage worldwide, consumers are increasingly using mobile devices for online shopping. This offers greater convenience and faster transactions.

Looking at the US in particular, we see that nearly 30% of consumers use their phones to search for discounts, compare prices, read reviews and more. This trend can be applied to many other locations around the world, as mobile commerce takes centre stage.

2. Social Media Commerce

Apart from mobile commerce, a whopping 110.4 million online shoppers are also flocking to social media platforms and marketplaces in 2024 as they shop online.

For example, Gen Z shoppers are especially prone to purchase from TikTok as their buying power reaches $44 billion. This generation is also expected to dominate 40% of consumer shopping in just a few years from now.

This is partly because 95% of this generation have a smartphone and they are twice as likely to shop on mobile devices than millennials. What is also interesting is that 54% of this generation spends a minimum of four hours a day on social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, significantly contributing to the rise in social commerce.

3. Voice Search and Shopping

Voice assistants are not only used to find out what the weather will be like on a given day. They’re also used for product research and for shopping online.

The global transaction value through voice assistants, which offer faster and more convenient online purchases, is expected to reach $164 billion this year. This marks a remarkable 630% growth over the past five years.

Online stores are adapting by optimising product detail pages with long-tail keywords to align with consumers’ voice search queries. This strategy helps improve search accuracy and enhances visibility in voice-driven searches.

4. Augmented Reality (VR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

To bring the in-store experience online, businesses are using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to help shoppers see and interact with products more naturally. These tools let customers get a better feel for items before buying, making online shopping more immersive and personal.

These two methods are a sophisticated way to bridge the gap between the physical and online shopping spaces, enabling shoppers to visualise products in real-world environments.

The ultimate result is greater consumer confidence in the product and a reduction in return rates. As part of the latest online shopping statistics, the US is expected to see 100 million AR users by the end of 2025, representing 32% of the population.

5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Personalisation

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is growing rapidly worldwide, and they’re becoming a key part of the e-commerce market. Many online stores are now using generative AI to enhance customer service, personalise marketing, streamline supply chains, and more. This technology helps businesses improve efficiency and deliver a more tailored shopping experience.

Feeding AI with customer data also means added personalisation in the online shopping experience that aligns with consumer expectations. Also, chat marketing is increasingly being used to offer suggestions that are based on natural questions posed by shoppers.

In fact, the global chat bot market is anticipated to reach a value of $27.3 billion by 2030. The foundation for this has already been laid as 88% of consumers used a chat bot in 2022.

Personalisation goes beyond greeting the customer by first name. It’s about offering them tailored suggestions based on past shopping habits and even offering dynamic pricing that enables e-commerce businesses to close more sales while creating a more intuitive shopping experience.

6. Sustainability and Ethical Shopping

The way in which consumers interact with online businesses when they buy online is also defined by heightened attention to sustainability and ethical sourcing.

A significant 78% of consumers now consider sustainability important when shopping online. Many are mindful of their environmental impact, particularly due to the extra packaging and transportation involved in their purchases.

Research points to the fact that marketing products as sustainable has a growth that’s 2.7 times faster than those not marketed as such. Meanwhile, around 62% of shoppers “always or often” look for products to buy because of their sustainable nature.

What is more, 55% of consumers would pay a higher price for eco-friendly brands.

Since 84% of consumers say they avoid brands with poor environmental practices, many online retailers are prioritising recyclable packaging and increasing transparency about their sourcing. They are sharing more details about where products come from and who produces them to align with shoppers’ eco-conscious values. Those with more transparent processes and supply chains will be better able to catch and retain the attention of environmentally-conscious consumers.

7.Omnichannel Shopping Experiences

Around 73% of consumers are seeking an omnichannel online shopping experience as another one of the e-commerce trends mentioned here.

Omnichannel shopping experiences refer to two things:

One is the customer’s ability to start shopping on one device and continue seamlessly on another as part of a frictionless buying experience.
And the second aspect relates to customer service where consumers have multiple access points through which to contact their e-commerce stores without having to repeat the same information or concerns to different agents.

This helps improve customer loyalty among people who shop online. Around 54% of consumers choose to contact businesses this way and expect a fast resolution to their issues.

8. Innovative Payment Methods

Another area where e-commerce brands are expected to make a dent is online transactions. Traditionally, online sales were defined by credit and debit card payments but now digital wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are redefining shopping behaviour.

Most global shoppers — around 64% — use at least 2.4 different payment methods to shop and this increases, depending on whether their preferred payment method is offered by the e-commerce sites.

For example, 18% of consumers use five payment methods and the remaining 18% use as many as seven payment methods.

Offering a variety of payment options increases an e-commerce merchant’s chances of boosting sales. It provides customers with more convenience and enhances security, particularly in handling sensitive data during transactions.

9. Fast and Sustainable Delivery

A further critical industry trend that goes back to sustainability and ethical shopping is deliveries that are fast and sustainable.

We already emphasised that customer preferences are leaning towards sustainability. However, to boost the customer experience, online retailers are also gearing up to offer faster deliveries. That’s because approximately 62% of consumers in the UK expect next-day delivery, up from 44% in 2020.

Among the online retail giants that are doing this is Amazon, with same-day and next-day deliveries possible. This is where e-commerce platforms need to negotiate with their couriers and transport service providers affordable shipping rates for expedited deliveries.

10. A Hassle-free Returns Experience

Although online shopping offers great convenience, speed, and affordability, about 36% of shoppers return items because they don’t match what was presented online.This is a rather high percentage that every online retailer needs to focus on reducing if they want to create a seamless customer journey.

Making it easy for customers to return items is key to creating a positive shopping experience. When returns are hassle-free, customers are more likely to shop with you again, ultimately increasing your online retail sales.

11. Cross-border Shopping

Thanks to social media apps, the variety of payment options, and the growing global marketplace, major online retailers can now easily gather insights from different regions. This allows them to tailor their approach and connect with customers around the world in a more meaningful and personalised way.

According to Statista, global consumers are flocking to Chinese e-commerce businesses, accounting for nearly 40% of cross-border online orders. And the value of the cross-border B2C e-commerce market is around $785 billion.

As cross-border shopping grows, so do global e-commerce sales. To attract international customers, businesses need to align their model with local preferences. This includes offering preferred payment methods, flexible shipping options, and environmentally sustainable practices to meet the needs and expectations of a wider audience.

12. Fulfilment Strategies

The e-commerce industry is seeing significant growth and achieving remarkable revenue increases. This success is partly due to strong fulfilment strategies that online merchants have in place, ensuring efficient delivery and customer satisfaction.

Unlike physical stores with slower supply chains, online retailers can boost efficiency in their fulfilment processes by partnering with the right suppliers and producers. This allows them to streamline operations and meet customer demand more effectively.

This necessarily involves a lot of prior research to ensure your supplier or producer can deliver on time and at an attractive cost. However, once these relationships are established, global supply chains kick into action, enabling e-commerce sites to cater to their customers’ needs through processes with fewer bottlenecks.

Order fulfilment is critical for e-commerce stores because these costs can account for up to 15% of total sales.

13. Bargain Hunting

Bargain hunting at a physical store often means going through different product catalogues to discover which shop has the best price for a different product. A shopper would then go in store and purchase the product on sale within a predefined period. With Google Shopping and shoppers who do their research via their mobile phones, this process becomes easier.

Customers can quickly compare prices from different retailers and go for the best deal. To stay competitive, online retailers should keep this in mind when setting prices. By offering personalised discounts at the right moments, they can encourage more sales and build better customer loyalty with their brand.

14. Subscriptions

It’s estimated that the global subscription economy will grow to $1.5 trillion in 2025 and continue rising. Other sources anticipate that it will reach $904.2 billion by 2026.

Subscription services can include many types of products and services, including food and beverage to clothing rental. Many e-commerce brands can take advantage of this trend because it offers continuous revenue, greater total retail sales, and heightened customer loyalty.

Online retailers offering subscriptions should focus on providing budget-friendly pricing, personalised products tailored to consumer preferences, and flexible fulfilment options that meet the needs of online shoppers.

15. More Product Details and Descriptions

One of the main reasons for an abandoned shopping cart is that product details and descriptions aren’t detailed enough.

To address this, online retailers should provide clear and comprehensive product descriptions. These should be paired with high-quality visuals, including 360-degree views and video demonstrations.

Pricing and discounts must be transparent, and customer ratings and reviews should be prominently displayed. When possible, retailers can also enhance the experience with 3D images. This level of detail helps recreate the confidence of in-store shopping and stimulates the growing number of internet users to complete their online purchase.

16. Trends by Product Categories

Product categories like online grocery shopping, fashion, and footwear are seeing strong online retail sales, with a compound annual growth rate expected to keep increasing.

In addition to these, other high-demand categories are also performing well. Things that people shop online include items for home and kitchen, beauty and personal care, toys and games, baby care, health, sports and outdoors, and arts, crafts, and sewing.

The market value of these product categories can be summarised as follows:

Product category	e-Commerce market value
Fashion and footwear	$781.5 billion (2024)
Home and kitchen	$163,019.81 million (2028)
Beauty and personal care	$69.61 billion (2024)
Toys and games	$348.6 billon (2024)
Baby care and health	$104.82 billion (2024)
Sports and outdoors	$1.8 trillion (2024)
Arts, crafts and sewing	$50.9 billion (2024)

Conclusion

Whether you want to cater to mobile shopping or consumers using voice search, being an online retailer today presents a lucrative business opportunity. When executed properly, your strategies can enhance customer experience, build loyalty, and increase your bottom line.

However, achieving success requires significant effort to stand out in the competitive online space. You need to focus on optimising multiple channels to align with evolving shopping behaviour.

Major retailers are adapting quickly by studying industry trends and offering the same convenience online as brick and mortar stores. With rising online spending, staying ahead of these trends will help you outperform traditional stores and capitalise on this growing market.

In conclusion, with the continued rise of global ecommerce sales and the growing number of mobile shoppers, optimising your online store is more important than ever. By refining your business model to stay aligned with current trends, you can secure long-term growth and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving retail landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the future of e-commerce?

The future of global e-commerce is unpredictable but trends point to a highly successful industry that offers customers exceptional levels of convenience. Online retailers can cater to a growing tech-savvy consumer base by incorporating AR, VR, AI-driven personalization, and eco-friendly, transparent practices. With this being said, e-commerce is only set to rise, negating global borders and creating a streamlined customer shopping experience.

Is e-commerce growing?

The global e-commerce market continues to expand rapidly. In 2023, online retail sales reached approximately $5.8 trillion, and by 2027, this figure is projected to exceed $8 trillion.

What are customers looking for in an e-commerce site?

Customers prioritise several factors when evaluating e-commerce sites. These include responsive design, easy navigation, and high-quality product images and videos. Quick search functionality and advanced filtering options are also important. Additionally, allowing users to leave ratings and reviews, along with a simplified “add to cart” feature, enhances the shopping experience. More advanced features include multiple payment options, live shopping, a clear exchange and return policy, order tracking, and 24/7 customer support. These features help build trust and convenience for both existing and new customers.