The acceleration of e-commerce during 2020 was the most extreme acceleration the industry has ever witnessed, as consumers were forced to shop online because of the global health crisis which closed physical shops.   

Now that lockdowns are lifting, we believe the deserting of physical shops is only going to increase. Life in lockdown has given us all a taste for convenience. We had to buy practically everything online and the experience was no hardship. 

How much did we buy in lockdown? According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2019, e-commerce grew 6.7% in the UK. In 2020, e-commerce grew 46.1% compared to 2019. This is an enormous increase representing billions of pounds.

COVID-19 has transformed consumer spending habits

When the UK government locked everyone down, those of us who were accustomed to online shopping shrugged. We knew that great marketplaces like Amazon and eBay had our backs. We knew that online retailers would serve us.  

For less experienced consumers, online shopping transformed from something incomprehensible into a simple experience as retailers simplified their checkouts and made it easier for people to find the products they wanted.   

Now, post-COVID, the decision to shop online is not a decision people make with their health in mind – it is a decision for convenience over a physical experience. Shopping is not something to just go out and do – it’s a simple transaction.

COVID-19 has transformed consumer spending habits. What it did was force everyone to look online for everything from toilet roll to lightbulbs. Things we would pop to the shops for had to be delivered to our door. As people realised how easy it was to do this, something happened – people started experimenting and spending more.   

This empowered shoppers to try new retailers and online experiences. Now, we have a more informed and savvy consumer base than ever. People are more willing to buy and spend more online, and they are willing to forego the high-street and supermarkets for the right deal. Really, the only way is up for e-commerce from here.

Getting started with e-commerce

Even the most traditional industries are ripe for disruption. Take Rocket Mortgage as an example – they revolutionised mortgage brokerage with an app. And let’s not forget Uber, who changed the way people order a cab forever.

But you needn’t be a disruptor to make it big online. 

The beauty of e-commerce is any business can take advantage of it. You only need something to sell. You don’t even need products to ship, you could offer downloads or access to content in return for payment.

You could offer something that is proprietary and patented to your organisation, something you buy from China and repackage and sell, or something handmade from scratch. There’s a market for everything but you will need to find a niche to stand out.

It’s time to take e-commerce seriously in your business

Sometimes, we can get so fixated on our business that we allow great opportunities to sail on by. We implore you to not let this happen with e-commerce.

In the UK, revenue in the e-commerce market is projected to hit £80.5 billion in 2021 and £92.5 billion by 2025. A slice of this pie could be yours.

As we look to the future, there are a few certainties for online retail: shopping will increase, and people are going to spend more online. We know because this has happened every year since 2010 – and the coronavirus pandemic has turbocharged it.

Thanks to that whopping turbocharger, global online sales are forecasted to reach 22% of all retail sales in 2023. In the UK, that amount will be over 30%.

So, don’t let your business miss out. Let Dunamis Web Services help with our expertise in Shopify we can get you launched and to market fast. Get in touch if we can help you make that jump today. Call us on 0121 798 0249.