eCommerce Growth Continues in 2021

When we began 2020, we had no idea what we were about to experience. 

Before we knew it, every aspect of life as we knew it changed. We had to shelter in our homes, we had to abstain from our usual self-care appointments, and we had to spend time with the people with whom we live.

There were huge question marks about how the pandemic would impact businesses around the globe. It certainly hit hard for several industries. 

However, e-Commerce exploded. People turned to the internet to buy their essentials, their entertainment items, and anything else they wanted. e-Commerce made a huge leap in 2020, but it shows no signs of slowing. 

Pre-Pandemic eCommerce Growth Trends

eCommerce has been seeing a rise in popularity each year in the past decade. 2019 saw 14.8% of total retail spending coming from online shopping, while just seven years previously shows only half of that number with only 7.6% of total retail spending in 2012 going towards eCommerce. This shows a trend of people becoming more comfortable with online shopping and companies implementing and making improvements on digital marketing and shipment strategies to make the experience more enjoyable for customers. 

How the Pandemic Impacted eCommerce 

But as any mail delivery worker will tell you just as easily as the numbers can, once the 2020 pandemic hit, that percentage skyrocketed. With being stuck inside with nothing to do and no usual shopping options, people began shopping online in record-breaking numbers.

By the second quarter of 2020, total retail shot up to 5.8 percentage points above what it had been in the second quarter of 2019. And it didn’t stop there. The percentage of total retail sales has jumped at least 3.6% in each subsequent quarter.

Online Shopping in 2021

This is a surprising trend, as one would have thought that as restrictions are lifted and shops and restaurants are beginning to open and allow higher capacities of people, people would go back to shopping as they did pre-pandemic. But as we have moved into 2021, eCommerce’s total gross income for the first quarter has been $1.01 trillion, in comparison to 2020’s first-quarter total of $188.71 billion. 

Spending, in general, has been higher, both while in the pandemic and out of it. While offline sales declined just 4.4% because of the pandemic, overall growth has grown 8.2% over the past year. To add a little perspective, for the last half-decade, the quarterly growth has been a mere 2.2%.

In addition, all of the categories that took a hit due to the pandemic, such as food and beverage, beauty and personal care, and apparel, are predicted to surge in the coming months, as people are moving out of their pandemic lifestyle and into whatever sort of normal this is right now. 

But just because these categories are due to surge doesn’t mean that categories that have been surging are going to subside. Books, movies, and videos are still in the top spot for the highest income, but toys and hobbies are quickly closing the gap. 

Prepare for Continued e-Commerce Growth 

With the insane amount of growth that eCommerce has seen in recent quarters, it’s no wonder that online companies are stretched thin with the sheer magnitude of the demand. Having a large influx of customers is wonderful, but if you aren’t equipped to deal with the numbers, then you are in danger of losing potential customers. Having a system that can manage your orders and synchronize your channels is crucial to being able to manage your workflow. 

With the right software system to handle all of your different inventory and order needs, you can let your business grow and grow. Listing Mirror is a listing management, order fulfillment, and inventory syncing software organization that has been helping businesses thrive since 2016. 

When you are confused by the number of listings you have, unsure of what your inventory is, or wondering whether your order is going to get where it needs to go, then Listing Mirror has a solution. The Listing Mirror software simplifies your business formatting so that you can see and control all of the aspects of your business at the same time. The set-up process is quick and easy, and if you have any questions, the experts on our team are waiting to help you get the best out of both your business and the software. 

Get Started Today 

With great growth comes a great amount of responsibility and busyness. Growing a multichannel eCommerce brand can be a lot to manage, but Listing Mirror has the best software solution to help you. Try it today with our free trial. Click the button below to get started. 

Start Your Free Trial!