The Ecommerce Quarterly is a series of presentations by Econsultancy, which curates the latest trends, developments, and statistics in ecommerce. 

It is a guide to what is happening right now in ecommerce and what you need to be aware of. This edition of Ecommerce Quarterly is heavily influenced by the impact of Covid-19.  

The following topics and more are addressed in this edition of Econsultancy’s Ecommerce Quarterly:  

  • The acceleration of ecommerce growth
  • The impact of Covid-19 on spending mindsets
  • The end of the dichotomy between physical retail management and ecommerce management
  • The availability of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) ecommerce
  • Apple iPhone 12 and its potential to accelerate the use of augmented reality (AR)
  • Brands testing AR to respond to the inability to try on physical items
  • The entrance of TikTok into social commerce
  • Tesco trialling drone delivery
  • Increasing awareness about the impact of packaging and delivery on the environment.

 

Bringing to life data from the Econsultancy blog, and Econsultancy reports including Digital Transformation Monthly and Digital Shift, the Ecommerce Quarterly is the best of ecommerce in an easy-to-digest format.

Subjects covered in this edition of Ecommerce Quarterly include:

Ecommerce acceleration

How Covid-19 is transforming ecommerce and the implications this will have for retailers in the run up to Christmas and beyond, including:

  • The changes in spending mindsets, including increased uptakes in price comparison sites
  • Signs of recovery in UK retail following its contraction during the first lockdown
  • The beginning of the end of the dichotomy between in-store and online retail environments.

Platform updates on Google, Facebook and Amazon

How the largest platforms are responding to changing consumer habits, including technological innovations, including:

  • The potential Apple’s new 5G handsets hold for ecommerce players
  • The rise in adoption of ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) services
  • Amazon’s Alexa Payments: letting customers pay for petrol from the safety of their vehicle with a simple voice command.

Ethical ecommerce

How brands are embracing more sustainable methods of working to reduce their carbon footprint as concern over retailers’ environmental impact grows, including:

  • Nike’s Move To Zero, which aims to move to using 100% renewable energy and reduce packaging materials
  • Running shoe brand On’s subscription service, which makes shoes out of sustainable materials and recycles those returned to it
  • The impact of Boohoo’s alleged labour abuses on its bottom line.

Econsultancy would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this report:

  • David Williams, Omnichannel, Ecommerce and Digital Leader, DHW Digital
  • Colin Lewis, CMO, OpenJaw, DMX Dublin
  • Vinny O’Brien, Ecommerce Director, Crua Outdoors
  • Aidan Duffy, Ecommerce Consultant
  • Liam Lennon, Director, Juicers.co.uk
  • Emily Ross, CEO, Inkvine Consulting
  • Paul Sweeney, Head of Product, Webio
  • Lynette Saunders, Senior Analyst, Econsultancy
  • Ronan Wall, CEO, Dosen