E-commerce trends in the world

Today we live in a digital world in which ecommerce has revolutionized the way we shop and do business. With one click you can access a new world, full of products from everywhere. The following infographic aims to help understand what users' habits and preferences are when it comes to ecommerce. Here you will find interesting information about product preferences, payment methods, average order value, delivery and customer service.

Most purchased items

To better understand buying habits globally, it is useful to focus first on what consumers prefer to buy. The table illustrates the different buying behaviors in four different areas of the world: America, Europe, China and Australia. The percentages represent the number of consumers in that region who purchased an item in each category in the past 12 months.

Analyzing the available data, clothing and footwear are the most popular categories in online shopping in all areas. Considering that in the data for Europe the two categories are combined, there is the highest sales rate of 68 percent, but rates in all other regions reach 50 percent and in some cases exceed it. The only exception is Australia, which has the lowest number of sales in both categories, with 51 percent for clothing and 29 percent for footwear.

Electronics is also a popular category, with China having the highest percentage of online purchases at 41 percent.

Books, movies and music have a sales rate of around 20-30% globally. In contrast, the cosmetics category shows differences in popularity across regions. In fact, China has a 41 percent share, while the other regions hover around 25 percent.

Most popular payment methods

Regarding payment methods for purchases in the ecommerce, there are several options. Analyzing data from various parts of the world, some trends emerge. Percentages refer to the number of respondents who indicated each option as their preferred payment method for online purchases.

As an initial matter, it is recorded that credit and debit cards are the most popular payment method globally, with high adoption rates in all areas. However, there are some notable differences. In America, for example, as many as 82 percent of consumers prefer to use cards, while in Europe and Asia-Pacific the adoption rate is slightly lower at 69 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

Online platforms are also widely used everywhere, but Europe has the highest adoption rate of 80 percent, as most respondents listed providers such as PayPal or Alipay as their preferred online payment method. In comparison, rates are lower in America (66 percent), Asia-Pacific (63 percent) and India (51 percent).

Analyzing data on Visa Checkout/Masterpass, adoption rates are similar across regions, ranging from 26 percent for U.S. users to 34 percent for Asia-Pacific users.

Turning to gift cards and prepaid cards, popularity is greatest in America and Europe, with adoption rates of 41% and 32%, respectively. While digital wallets or digital wallets, such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet or Baidu Wallet, are gaining popularity in Asia-Pacific and India, with adoption rates of 20 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

These differences when it comes to payment preferences across regions highlight the importance of understanding one’s market target and adapting payment options to meet the needs and expectations of one’s customers.

Average order value

In addition to payment preferences, it is important to analyze how consumers spend their money online and how much, on average, an ecommerce order amounts to.

Over the years (2016-2022), the average value of e-commerce orders has fluctuated somewhat.

In 2016, the average transaction value in the ecommerce was 113 euros.

Then, in 2017, there was a slight increase to 115 euros.

In contrast, the values for the next two years declined: the average value dropped to 110 euros in 2018 and then to 106 euros in 2019.

2020 confirmed this trend, with the average order value falling to a low of 96 euros. It then began to rise again, reaching 103 euros in 2021.

Finally, 2022 saw the largest increase, with an average value of 120 euros.

For 2022, taking into consideration the Eurozone, the European Central Bank collected data on the value of online transactions, The graph shows a majority of transactions falling in the 10-50 euro range. 20% of the transactions fall in the 10-20 euro range, which is the most common amount among the transactions analyzed. This is followed with a similar percentage by transactions in the 30-50 euro range, with 17 percent. The rest of the transactions are divided into the other brackets, and the smallest percentage of transactions are those with a total of more than 100 euros, accounting for only 11 percent.

Things to know about delivery

You might think that delivery is a minor element that does not need attention, but it is becoming increasingly important.

With more and more people using online shopping, delivery is a key component of personalizing the customer experience. Offering a variety of delivery options to fit various consumer needs and expectations is one way to stand out among the thousands of other online companies.

For example, almost half of consumers expect free delivery to always be provided. Therefore, companies that are able to offer this additional benefit are likely to have greater sales and customer loyalty.

Another trend that is being observed is the preference for order tracking. The numbers speak for themselves: 74% of shoppers feel safer ordering online when they have the ability to track their orders.

Moreover, with the rise of mobile devices, consumers are increasingly accustomed to using their phones for many activities, and shopping is no exception. In fact, 44 percent of consumers prefer to track their orders through an app. Offrire quest’opzione può dare alla vostra azienda ecommerce un vantaggio competitivo e migliorare l’esperienza d’acquisto dei vostri clienti.

The basics of customer service

And now let’s talk about one of the most important aspects of online shopping: customer service. To provide a smooth shopping experience and to build a profitable relationship with consumers, customer service must be a priority.

In fact, more than 72 percent of customers say that their previous experience with a company is the main factor that influences their expectations. Here are some key factors for providing excellent customer service in ecommerce:

Fast and efficient response time

Customers expect readyand reliable answers to their questions and concerns, which can be obtained via live chat, e-mail, telephone, social media or other communication channels.

Empathy and understanding

Customer service representatives must show empathy and understanding toward customers and thus take into account the frustration and annoyance they are experiencing.

Ability to problem-solving

Customer service representatives must be able to quickly identify and solve customer problems and provide creative solutions to their problems. In addition, customers expect the representative to have access to previous interactions and to be able to continue the problem-solving journey without having to repeat it to each representative who is contacted.

By incorporating these elements into your customer service strategy, you can create a memorable experience that will entice customers to repurchase from you.

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