E-COMMERCE 2021: 4 MAJOR TRENDS IN EUROPE

Since the COVID-19 interrupted - fully or partially - our daily life, e-commerce has been "positively" impacted, particularly in places where lockdowns and curfews are punctuating people's routine.

Because COVID-19 taken sanitary measures are still very strict in Europe, e-commerce challenges and customer service became more prior than ever.

Web habits are constantly involving through the years, and 2020 has definitely been a turning point. From now on, we can observe a few trends emerging in France, Italy, and spreading up in Western Europe.

1. LOCAL SHOPS PRIORITY

As mentioned in a previous article, buying as close and local as possible is more and more trendy since the coronavirus, to support the economy at a national, regional, or departmental scale. These shops are increasingly selling on local marketplaces too, such as Fnac, CDiscount, or Rue du Commerce. Between 2019 and 2020, local marketplaces' turnover doubled.

Then, localized advertisement and SEO are likely to be privileged in this situation, for reaching a qualified audience. 

Of course, being local is important, and that is why capitalizing on storytelling is now important for most companies. Being eco-friendly, collaborating with small local businesses, having strong values are now a requirement and an argument for buying a product.

2. DELIVERY OPTIONS

Delivery is a selling argument. If it is too expensive, restrictive, or careless, a user can easily abandon purchasing.  Countries such as France and Italy faced many problems with delivery services, especially with lost or damaged packages on a regular basis. 

With this strict lockdown period, it is quite difficult to access post services; a careful double-check about delivery conditions when purchasing is now a common habit. Also, even necessary products are now bought online, and fast or express delivery options will be likely appreciated. 

In addition to delivery possibilities, several-time payments became little by little appreciated by consumers. With the actual economic crisis and hard times, many buyers are now more likely to pay 2 or 3 times. It mostly concerns electronic products, such as computers, phones, and peripherals, which are massively bought and used for remote work.

3. USER EXPERIENCE

When talking about UX, we obviously think about design and page experience. Of course, Google plans to update its algorithm in May 2021, to include new metrics on SEO rules. 

However, this is not the only thing to think about. User experience is not only about a website's visual or speed loading but also thinking about why and how a visitor will purchase your products.

For example, if I want to purchase sneakers, my choice will not be based on the website's description only or official images. I will check on Google if there are "on feet" images, or on social media. By looking at the brand's hashtag or on-tagged pictures and reviews, I will have a better idea of how the sneakers really look like on the feet.

Having a LOOKBOOK, WEAR, or any other fashion coordination review apps/blogs is a must-have for EC websites. It is getting more and more common in Japan, but still uncommon in Europe: since most of the stores are refrained or not easily accessible, capitalizing on UX matters.

4. SECOND-HAND PRODUCTS

With the recession and increase of unemployment rate, second-hand items are highly prized by European consumers. 

Even if it was already trendy before, it is getting strong with the Corona period. For clothes and electronic devices, users first look on websites such as Le Bon Coin, which is the "French Mercari". 

If looking for an unused product, price comparison sites are highly visited.

Thank you for reading.