As high streets are getting emptier than ever, retail is entering the age of e-commerce faster than ever. Life without online shopping has become unimaginable, and visiting physical stores after 2020 has turned into a bother, rather than a pleasure. Who wants to walk crowded malls, visit store after store and pay for overpriced coffee, when one can get everything they need with just a few taps on their phone? All one needs is a reputable e-commerce site, and stuff of all sorts will be within reach!
However, convenience has a high price. Shopping malls in Northern America are a dying breed. What were once the places to be are now tiled wastelands with empty locals, often “decorated” with nothing but graffiti. It is predicted half of the malls operating today in the USA will close in the next decade.
At the same time, the retail sector is evolving rapidly, thus providing new opportunities and exciting experiences. Let’s see what it will bring upon us!
Augmented Reality and Personalized Service
In the ye old days, customers had a special relationship with shop assistants. Shops even held folders about their loyal customers, so it was easy to do alterations, suggest the right color or mix the right shade of makeup foundation. In the new age of retail, customers, once again, can experience a personalized approach and find their perfect match.
Modern e-commerce sites offer more than items to purchase. They offer experiences, and they are becoming more and more advanced. For instance, it is possible to have a chat with an online skincare consultant who will pick the right products for you. At the same time, makeup brands provide nifty camera tools, so you can try all the shades in their portfolio to find the one that will work. Online stylists will let you take a quiz and send a box full of items that will work with your figure and style. And of course, returns are completely free!
In addition to personalized services in the realm of retail, the online sphere extends its tailored experiences to the realm of entertainment, notably in the domain of online casinos. Platforms like Mr Bet offer a plethora of games tailored to individual preferences, accompanied by enticing promotions
With the integration of cutting-edge technology, players can immerse themselves in a virtual casino environment, complete with live dealers and interactive gameplay. Furthermore, leveraging the convenience of mobile applications, enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite games anytime, anywhere.
The incorporation of promotional codes like “Mr bet kod promocyjny bez depozytu” further enhances the experience, providing users with exclusive bonuses and incentives. Ultimately, the evolution of online casinos epitomizes the fusion of personalized service and technological innovation in the digital age.
Voice Commerce and Tools for Customers with Disabilities
Despite all the efforts, classic retail was never too friendly to people with disabilities. Narrow clothes racks, items located too far above, and colors that announce war onto our senses — all that was a part of any shopping trip.
E-commerce caters to the needs of customers with disabilities at the highest level. It allows people with visual impairments to use voice controls to navigate sites and search for items. People with anxiety can choose between different modes and atmospheres, to avoid triggering effects, ads, and commercials.
On top of all that, many e-commerce websites strive to adhere to web accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This involves ensuring compatibility with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and providing alternative text for images.
E-Commerce is Turning Green
Admittedly, e-commerce is hurting the environment. According to the World Economic Forum, e-commerce packaging accounts for 165 billion packages annually. It is also the main culprit for:
- Packaging waste,
- Electronic waste,
- Carbon emissions,
- Single-use products.
On top of that, frequent returns do more harm than visiting the local store.
It can be predicted that with the rise of green consciousness, e-companies will have to start and think green. Some of them are already doing it. For instance, the German drug store giant dm — Drogerie Markt is using only paper tape and recycled paper shreds to secure the items in its shipments. Several clothes online retailers accept only returns in the original packaging, meaning the envelope or the original box the item was sent in. Such practices will soon be not an exception, but a rule.
Influencers and Deinfluencers
In the past decade, we have witnessed the rise of influencer marketing. Everyone and their grandma advertised everything from sunscreen to MLM companies. Yet, the tide is changing to benefit the so-called deinfluencers.
While influencers must convince us to get something, deinfluencers do exactly the opposite. They accentuate the downsides of products to provide a more balanced insight into how they work. In the past, influencers were notorious for taking any deal available, but with deinfluencers on the rise, e-commerce companies must change their marketing practices and adjust them to the new narrative.
In the future, e-commerce will have to strongly downplay its products, as customers are craving objective information.
Mobile E-Commerce is the New King?
Judging by the report by WeAreSocial (“Digital 2019: Global Internet Use Accelerates,” 2019), we don’t mind using small screens on our phones to do the shopping. On the contrary, more than half of all the internet traffic is now mobile traffic.
In the upcoming years, e-commerce companies will have to adapt to this new trend and make their pages and apps faster, more responsive, and feature-rich, without compromising on the safety of their patrons. This could be the biggest challenge the e-commerce industry is facing.
Although some might say the power of e-commerce is overhyped, there is a reasonable chance it will replace the majority of physical stores over the next 25 years or even less. Even so, small, specialized stores are making a comeback as they provide a human touch and expertise that no platform can copy. At least for now.
