Retail & e-commerce: the 5 trends to watch

Here we are! As December draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to look back on 2019 and prepare for the changes ahead in 2020. Whilst the past twelve months have marked a further shift towards data management, artificial intelligence and the IoT, the next twelve look set to be more exciting than ever. Whether you’re a regular reader of our blog or just dropping by for the first time, the whole Quable team would like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful festive season and every success in both your personal and professional endeavours.

A look back at the trends of 2019

Mobile-first and omnichannel

Google’s activation of its ‘mobile-first’ algorithm for all new websites on 1 July marked another step towards the rise of mobile and its growing importance in e-commerce. Any web strategy must therefore be ‘mobile-first’: figures from Statcounter show that over 50 per cent of web traffic now comes from mobile phones. This takes centre stage in a strategy that is now, by design, omnichannel for all retailers and e-commerce businesses.

GDPR & data

Having come into force on 25 May 2018, the GDPR has been the subject of much discussion… and caused no end of headaches for CMOs and DPOs across Europe. 2019 therefore saw the consolidation of measures taken to comply with the GDPR and to prepare for the Privacy Act, which will come into force in the United States in January 2020. It was also an opportunity to place the consolidation and responsible use of data at the heart of marketing strategies, as evidenced by the growing popularity of data lakes and other DMPs.

Connected objects

T-shirts, furniture, plants, cars, household appliances, shoes… It seems every object now has a connected counterpart! Directly linked to improvements in networks (with the imminent arrival of 5G) and AI, the rise of connected devices is such that the market is estimated to be worth 400 million euros in 2020. This offers e-commerce businesses and retailers excellent opportunities for growth.

Artificial Intelligence

Fuelled by better consolidated and standardised data, artificial intelligence is driving a growing number of projects, ranging from simple chatbots to Amazon Go stores. 2019 marked a turning point by making artificial intelligence technologies more accessible, enabling many players to use them to improve the customer experience.

4 trends to watch out for in 2020

Data and AI: still going strong… and taking it further

The trend shows no sign of slowing down! Now that data has been properly refined, it can be fully harnessed to personalise the customer experience as much as possible – the cornerstone of any marketing strategy worth its salt. It will also form the basis for the roll-out of AI, which has completed a development phase that now enables it to match and, in some cases, surpass human capabilities. These are opportunities for retailers and e-commerce businesses to seize in order to offer a distinctive experience.

Voice

Driven by smart speakers, the growth of voice as a communication channel shows no sign of slowing down: 50 per cent of searches are expected to be voice-based next year. How can this new channel be utilised in e-commerce and in-store? Which use cases should be rolled out, and what role should it play in marketing strategy? These are the questions that will occupy industry players, enhancing opportunities for personalisation and a greater focus on the customer experience.

Social shopping

Led by Instagram, social media has carved out a significant share of e-commerce sales. And with good reason: the power of recommendations comes into its own in the context of a personalised shopping experience. The influence of peers is matched only by the precision of the targeting that social media platforms enable, thanks to the data they generate. Influencers are the salespeople of 2020 – don’t overlook them!

Mobile payments

Whilst the penetration rate remains low in France (2.2 per cent), the figures from our Spanish neighbours (7 per cent) and Asian countries (35.2 per cent in China) suggest that mobile payments have a bright future ahead of them. Here again, it is in retailers’ strategic interest to offer this new payment channel to ensure a seamless customer experience and project an innovative image to early adopters.

Ethical shopping

Many marketplaces now include second-hand items in their catalogues, following the example of fnac.com. But the trend towards ethical shopping goes further: 55 per cent of those surveyed by Wunderman Thompson stated that a brand’s ethics and values influence their purchasing decisions. They are therefore looking to shop with more environmentally responsible companies. It is time for retailers to take stock of their environmental responsibility and turn it into a key marketing selling point – but beware of greenwashing!

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Conclusion

2019 paved the way for ultra-personalisation and streamlined processes, ushering the online and offline shopping experience into a new era. 2020 should logically see the emergence of ever more innovative and fascinating projects. So, are you ready? 3…2…1… Happy New Year and all the best with your PIM projects!