10 eCommerce Retail Industry Trends & Predictions for 2023

23/10/2018 By Appnova Reading Time: 6 Minutes

Thanks to the popularity of the Internet, the retail industry has changed dramatically in the past 20 or so years, and even more so in the past 10 thanks to the introduction and widespread adoption of the smartphone.

As such, every new year brings a horde of trends marketers predict will dominate the industry.

For example, some predictions for 2022 were a rise in eCommerce sales due to mCommerce, heightened demand for same-day deliveries, and increased usage of voice search. As it happens to be, online retail statistics from the UK proved these to be true.

And, with the UK being the 4th biggest market for eCommerce, and estimated revenue of $166,707 this year, it’s only right that we delve deeper to understand what lies ahead.

Now that we’re into 2023, it gives us the perfect chance to go over 10 eCommerce retail trends & predictions 2023 is likely to bring. So, what are the future trends in the retail industry?

Trends in eCommerce Retail Industry

ECommerce has revolutionised the way people shop, and the industry has been evolving rapidly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of eCommerce, with more people than ever turning to online shopping for their everyday needs.

In this context, it's important for ecommerce businesses to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations in the industry. Below, we’ll explore some of the retail eCommerce trends 2023 in the ecommerce retail industry that are shaping the way brands sell online and connect with their customers.

1. Mobile Will Be Stronger Than Ever

Even though the mobile trend started a couple of years ago, its impact is still seen day in and day out. After all, isn't it easier to pull out your phone and browse than it is to sit down in front of a computer, especially when you're out and about?

For this reason, one of the retail industry trends 2022 brought us that will continue to be one of the most prominent retail trends 2023 has in store for us is mobile shopping and mCommerce.

2. Omnichannel Experiences Will Increase

With the rise of mobile came the rise of omnichannel shopping experiences marked by seamless transitions from mobile to desktop, desktop to telephone, telephone to brick and mortar, brick and mortar to mobile, and any variation in between.

In fact, in a study involving 46,000 shoppers, 73% of them used multiple channels to do their shopping, and businesses using four or more digital channels outperformed those using single or dual channels by 300%.

At the end of the day, shopping doesn't necessitate everything being completed at the same time. Sometimes it's just better and easier to take your time and spread it out between a couple of channels.

3. New Discovery Methods with Emerging Technologies Will Be Used

As fashion retail trends from 2022 have taught us, emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and visual search are fueling product discovery by introducing new methods of search and visualisation that allow consumers to find and see products in a whole new light.

For instance, AR is helping buyers choose products with more certainty by allowing them to visualise them in a realistic environment, and visual search is helping them find what they're looking for with more accuracy.

For 2023, it's clear that more and more brands are going to start delving into these technologies to provide their users with new and improved ways of interacting with them.

4. Experiences Will Be Even More Personal

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, many brands like Amazon have been delivering personalised experiences to their users, such as offering product recommendations based on their browsing and purchasing behaviour.

Moving into 2023, it seems likely that AI-based tools that enable personalisation are going to be used by all types of businesses, from SMBs to enterprises, with increased frequency.

After all, 43% of consumers prefer companies that personalise their experience, and a larger 48% will even spend more money when their experience is personalised.

One more thing, keep in mind that personalisation doesn't stop at recommendations; email marketing campaigns and online adverts with personalised offers based on user interest are also becoming vital to improved bottom lines.

5. AI Merchandising Will Be the New Norm

Along similar lines as delivering more personal experiences, there's been an uptake of brands using AI product merchandising to entice their users to convert, which can be defined as promoting and displaying products by matching them with shoppers who are more likely to find them relevant and complete the purchase.

When you consider that 74% of people hate being shown irrelevant content, it makes sense that displaying products they're interested in, as opposed to those you yourself want to promote, will become the new norm in 2023.

6. Customer Service Will Be Automated

Another of the retail trends & predictions 2023 is going to bring that's facilitated by AI is the automation of customer service, and it's all thanks to chatbots. In fact, in the past 12 months, 78% of consumers have interacted with chatbots. This figure is only expected to increase.

A quick note before moving forward, chatbots are AI-based programs that use machine learning to “talk” with users and learn from users, allowing them to improve over time without the need to be explicitly programmed to do so.

With that in mind, chatbots are being adopted by brand after brand because of their incredible utility. By residing on websites or applications at all times of the day, chatbots are able to provide 24/7 support for users who need some help — all without a human presence.

7. Conversational Commerce Will Be the New Way to Shop

One more retail trend predicted to make a splash in 2023 that's also enabled by AI and chatbots is conversational commerce.

We just touched on the benefits of pairing a chatbot with your brand for customer service purposes and doing so for sales purposes has the same impact, albeit with a little extra in the form of conversions. This is because, with the same technology that allows chatbots to help users facing difficulties, they can guide those on the customer journey until checkout.

For example, a chat bubble inquiring if your user needs help finding something can start the conversation, and upon further prompting that discloses more and more about what they're looking for, the chatbot can eventually recommend a couple of products they're bound to like.

8. Subscription Services Will Increase in Popularity

The market for subscription services has grown by more than 100% year-over-year in the past five years. This year, subscription eCommerce is forecasted to generate 38 billion dollars in revenue.

From a brand perspective, bundled items shipped together mean less shipping costs and higher order values. From a consumer perspective, the pain of choosing what to get is eliminated and is replaced by the anticipation of getting something new and interesting from a brand they like.

Putting it all together, 2023 seems prime for a subscription box popularity surge.

9. Same and Next Day Shipping Will Be More Widespread

Spurred on by Amazon and their premium service, Amazon Prime, same-day or next-day delivery is not only appreciated, but expected by many consumers these days — there's just something special about browsing for the perfect item online, and then having it delivered within a couple of hours.

And, considering that 72% of shoppers revealed they would actually shop more and spend more if same-day delivery was available, it's not only probable but also likely that these shipping methods will be adopted by more brands as we move into the new year.

10. Alternate Delivery Methods Will Be Used

Like same-day shipping, alternate delivery methods like drone deliveries, which allow for same-day deliveries, are becoming more popular.

For example, 79% of US consumers said they're more than willing to request drone delivery if their package could be delivered within an hour, and 73% of survey participants said that they would even pay up to $10 for drone delivery.

Like above, there's just something special about ordering and receiving everything on the same day.

eCommerce predictions for 2023

As the ecommerce industry continues to evolve, it's important for businesses to stay ahead of the curve by anticipating future trends and changes.

Here are some predictions for the ecommerce industry in 2023:

Continued growth - The ecommerce industry is expected to continue growing at a rapid pace, with global online sales projected to reach $6.5 trillion by 2023.
Mobile commerce dominance - Mobile commerce is expected to become even more dominant, with mobile devices accounting for an even larger share of ecommerce transactions. Brands will need to focus on creating seamless and user-friendly mobile shopping experiences.
Personalisation - Personalisation will continue to be a key trend in ecommerce, with brands using data and technology to deliver customised product recommendations and marketing messages.
Increased Use of AI and AR - Artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will become even more prevalent in ecommerce, with brands using these tools to create more immersive and engaging shopping experiences.
Sustainability - As consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious, sustainability will continue to be a key focus for ecommerce brands. Brands that prioritise sustainability in their products and operations will have a competitive advantage.
Voice Commerce - Voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant will continue to be used for shopping, with brands creating voice-activated shopping experiences and optimising product descriptions for voice search.

Let's Take a Second Look

In case you didn't notice, the majority of the eCommerce future trends and predictions for 2023 we covered today relate to technology.

For example, just as omnichannel shopping experiences and new discovery methods are in direct response to an increase in mobile usage, personalised experiences and chatbots are a response to improvements in AI.