Retail and e-commerce - March 2021
Developments in retail and influences of COVID-19
According to an ABN AMRO article (in Dutch, 501 kB), the division created by the corona crisis between companies in the food industry supplying the hotel and catering industry and those selling to supermarkets will continue for the time being. In a report (in Dutch, 1.0 MB) ABN AMRO (in Dutch) also states that the corona crisis has given the online channel a permanent place in retail.
According to Eurostat, online shopping is continuing to grow in the European Union. With high street shopping affected by the COVID-19 restrictions and changes in habits and preferences, e-commerce can be expected to grow further.
Mintel has announced four key trends for the US foodservice industry, including analysis, insights and recommendations centred around consumers. You can download the report after filling in your details.
In a recent report (541 kB) Forrester collaborated with IRI to understand what US online grocery shoppers are buying now and at which e-commerce stores. As a result of the pandemic, the online grocery industry has seen accelerated growth across all categories, continued high penetration of non-perishables and success with super premium items.
Raconteur Media has released a report (1.7 MB) titled ‘Future of Retail’ that was published in The Times. It examines how retail is expected to continue post-coronavirus, what brands need to know about social commerce and the new retail calendar.
Sana Commerce has published a report on how the recent COVID-19 disruption has influenced digital transformations. There are now additional incentives to digitise manufacturing businesses with an e-commerce engine. The report also shows that creating a good online customer experience is one of the biggest challenges for manufacturers. You can download the report after filling in your detail.
Consumer behaviour
A SOTI survey finds COVID-19 has radically changed consumers’ expectations for retailers. It finds consumers won’t click “buy” if returns aren’t easy, shipping and delivery isn’t trackable, and data security isn’t a priority. You can download the report after filling in your details.
IRI has published a report (2.9 MB) which examines innovation opportunities in self-care, convenience and indulgence that reflect consumer behaviour for now and the future.
While some coffee drinkers are happy to make a switch to sustainable practices, new research published in the Journal of Cleaner Production (abstract) from the University of South Australia shows that in Australia an absence of infrastructure and a general ‘throw-away’ culture is severely delaying sustainable change.
A survey (1.6 MB) from Colorado State University reveals how the pandemic has changed American consumers’ food habits.
E-commerce marketplaces and reusable shipping concepts.
VIA (in Dutch) has published a playbook (in Dutch, 704 kB) about marketplaces in the e-commerce landscape. The aim is to provide more insight into the impact of marketplaces on the (online) retail sector, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of marketplaces and to highlight domain-specific players.
Universitas Trilogi published a paper (491 kB) in the JISA (Jurnal Informatika dan Sains) entitled ‘Exploring The Emerging Trends of Reusable Shipping Packaging for E-Commerce’.
New standard for express packaging under development
The ISO Technical Committee Packaging and the environment is working on a new standard ISO 4924 with the title Eco-design principle, requirement and guideline for express packaging.
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