What Is the Future of Ecommerce in 2018 and Beyond? 10 Trends

By: Herbert Lui

Next year, retail mega-giant Amazon will turn 25 years old.

Already commanding 37% of the ecommerce market, latest projections — compiled by Sellbrite — estimate the conglomerate will be responsible for half of all online sales within three years.

In light of those numbers, it’s easy to forget that — in the grand scheme of the commerce universe — both ecommerce and Amazon are still in their infancy. (As Jeff Bezos likes to say, it’s always “Day 1” at his company.)

Despite futuristic advances like two-hour delivery and a new drone service, long-term success starts with knowing the fundamental market opportunities and potential points of friction.

What is the future of ecommerce for 2018 and beyond? 10 trends offer the answer …

>> Ecommerce Is Growing But Is Only 11.9% of Retail
>> Multi-Channel Ecommerce Enables Anywhere Buying
>> Ecommerce Automation Is an Accessible Reality
>> Mobile Is the New Normal but Adds Purchase Complexities
>> Native Social-Selling Is Finally Delivering Results
>> International Ecommerce Remains Largely Untapped
>> Micro-Moments Are the New Battleground for Optimization
>> Content Is the Holy Grail of Ecommerce Engagement
>> B2B Ecommerce Dwarfs B2C by Over $5 Trillion
>> Fragmentation Is Ecommerce’s Biggest Challenge

1. Ecommerce Is Growing but Only Represents 11.9% of Retail Sales

Ecommerce market share in 2018, as a percentage of all retail sales, is expected to increase to 11.9% — up from 3.5% a decade ago.

But brick and mortar is still a dominant player by a landslide.

Fast growth plus relatively low market share means that there is still enormous opportunity for new players to outpace traditional industry leaders.

High-growth businesses need to watch who’s emerging, track who’s loved, and research how to be successful in both business and life. To capitalize on this trend in particular, companies must also focus on optimizing their in-store experiences in conjunction with their ecommerce expressions.

Read More >> https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/the-future-of-ecommerce