The USA is the epicentre of the e-commerce ‘big-bang’. Host to the world’s first ever e-commerce transaction (reportedly conducted between the long-haired students of Stanford and MIT in 1972), America has continued to lead the way in online retail, both in terms of sales volumes and technology, ever since.
With a GDP of over US$21 trillion and a growing base of more than 256m active internet shoppers who each spend on average $2,773 per year, the significance of this market simply cannot be overstated.
Asendia Product Manager, and expert in all things e-commerce, Yvette Hooites, shared her insights on the US market in an interview with RetailX. Read on to find out what she had to say.
Q&A with Yvette Hooites
PRODUCT MANAGER, ASENDIA
1) What trends have you observed in the USA concerning e-commerce market size?
E-commerce is growing across the world, including in America. There, the pandemic has had a huge impact on online shopping behaviour, boosting sales of everything from fashion and multimedia to groceries and other everyday products. Many new consumers are turning to e-commerce and those who already bought online are buying more. I think that, because US e-tailers have invested in customising the shopping experience and in tech like artificial intelligence interactions with shoppers, we can expect this trend to continue.
2) What, for you, has been the most exciting recent development in US e-commerce?
The trend for smaller, local businesses adopting online shopping. It allows shoppers to benefit from the convenience of e-commerce and still support their local retailers in these difficult times. Naturally, a future step for some of these companies will be to find new revenue streams in cross-border retail. Not only will this mean they can expand, but also that they can bring local products to destinations they couldn’t before.
3) What are the main trends you see among American consumers when it comes to delivery?
Flexibility will be really important in the future. More options will be developed to allow the consumer to receive deliveries when and where they want – and change their mind easily. This is going to require carriers to invest in technology for tracking, routing, customer websites and apps. Speed will always be important, but we’re seeing a trend for shoppers accepting slower delivery if it’s much better for the environment.
Still curious? For a comprehensive yet concise look at e-commerce trends in the USA, and to read the rest of Yvette’s interview, download the USA 2020: E-commerce Country Report by RetailX in partnership with Asendia.
