3. Seeing is buying
In 2017, traffic to retailers' mobile sites via social media increased by 42 percent, according to the Shopping Index. Consumers use social media for inspiration and advice from friends and family. But, in 2018, this percentage will increase even further. Why? Because consumers can browse mobile sites more easily via networks such as Instagram. Especially now that customers can increasingly use Apple Pay and Android Pay on payment pages internationally, the customer journey is suddenly a lot shorter. "I saw it on Insta, now it's mine!" For the time being, we will have to wait a little longer for that in the Netherlands , but hopefully we will see this happen in 2018.
I saw it on insta, now it's mine!
Shoppers expect a personal approach in-store and online. south korea whatsapp number More and more retailers will use AI for recommendations, email, personalized product pages, etc. This way they can better match offers to their wishes. The retailer will have to properly coordinate all channels with which he communicates with the customer. The same consistent customer experience, brand experience and service promise everywhere. This is the real challenge of omnichannel that entrepreneurs have to deal with. Falling behind is not an option!
The variable pricing era
Imagine it’s a warm and sunny day, you’re thirsty and want to drink something. You walk to a vending machine and buy your favorite soda. So far so good. A month later, on a chilly day, you walk past the same vending machine. You see that the same can is now half the price! This phenomenon, the fluctuating prices based on circumstances and smart devices, is a trend that we will definitely see again and that will even become established in the not so distant future. These possibilities can have a significant impact on the pricing strategy of retailers. Research agency Gartner predicts that in 2018, 40% of B2B companies that are active online will use algorithms and tools that perform dynamic price calculations.
A lot of new developments in the offing
In short, the world of retail, and e-commerce in particular, has a lot of great new developments in store. What trends do you foresee for e-commerce in 2018? I'm curious about your insights! Let me know in a comment.