What Can We Expect From Online Retail In 2019?
The importance of online shopping is growing and it got me thinking about what’s in store for 2019. This year has seen the meteoric rise of chatbots, short-form video ads, and social influencers, but ecommerce businesses are always looking to try something new so it’s exciting to look ahead to what the next 12 months hold for us as consumers.
With the UK high street recently posting its worst August performance for three years, the pressure traditional retailers are facing is evident and that trend is continuing with retailers reporting slower than expected sales in the run up to Christmas. December footfall is predicted to drop by 4.2% according to new figures by retail intelligence company Springboard, and I wasn’t surprise read that retail footfall in November fell by 3.2%, a substantial drop on the previous year which had reported nominal, but some, growth.
The biggest challenges facing ecommerce businesses are personalisation, convenience, competitive prices, fast and reliable delivery. Those who can’t meet these challenges will have a hard time. There will be a concerted move towards omnichannel shopping with consumers now expecting brands to deliver a cross-device and cross-channel shopping experience, one that is highly personalised, seamless, and as easy as possible. Knowing who the customer is, what their needs are, what their purchase history looks like and having a direct communication channel to them will be one of the tests for any business operating in this space.

And on the note of convenience, we should anticipate the rise of voice assistants with interest in conversational platforms growing rapidly. This is due to a compelling value proposition for users and the potential to improve customer service. In response, businesses are moving quickly to implement these technologies. Currently leading the pack are Amazon Alexa and Google Voice. Brands and retailers who want to engage with shoppers via voice will have to get on Amazon Marketplace or Google Express to not miss out on this great growth opportunity. Whilst for some it may feel alien to ask Alexa to book your train ticket, for many it’s yet another ingenious way businesses are striving to make the way we transact with them even easier (good work Virgin Trains!).
Retailers of all types need to figure out how they can own the customer and create a comfortable customer journey. Businesses will need to be innovative and be willing to be present any and everywhere. It will be up to businesses to clearly communicate that value in this dynamic, competitive, and quickly changing landscape.

Whilst I’m partial to a bit of online shopping but there’s nothing better dashing to the high street to grab a few last minute stocking fillers and a chance to see the Christmas lights so on that note “Alexa, a return ticket to St Pancras please”….

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