Consumption habit: The latest trends in 2022

The covid crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of our physical and globalized economy to biological risks. Even more so with the war in Ukraine, there are fears of grain shortages worldwide.

During the various successive confinements, we were able to observe an upsurge in online purchases, as well as the appearance of new behaviors that persist today in the world of Shopify e-commerce.

Shopify online stores are the perfect example . The Canadian firm has seen its turnover increase from $624 million in 2019 to more than $3 billion in 2021, and it has now become a key player in e-commerce.

During the confinement, the firm was able to attract physical stores that could no longer sell "face-to-face" , and today, these same stores continue to use Shopify as a means of developing their brand, by making their experience purchase an Omnichannel experience.

This is how consumers have become accustomed to consuming, having fun and buying on the web , and with the accelerated development of the deployment of certain solutions, we see the appearance of certain consumer trends, which require the implementation of a clear and concrete Shopify marketing strategy. A new consumption habit then appears here and there with its share of new trends.

In this article we will see together the new trends and consumption habits of consumers on the web, the consumption of French people on the web, the impact of the health crisis on Shopify stores and how you can do to attract more visitors. on your Shopify store.

Summary

The consumption of French people on the Web in 2022, forecasts, and deductions

In 2021, the share of e-commerce in retail trade in France then reached 14.1% , boosted by the successive confinement periods as well as the purchasing power saved during confinement. At the end of 2021, we noticed a perpetuation of purchasing behavior during periods of confinement.

Such as ultra-fast home delivery, the attraction for well-being products — Yoga, Sports mats to give just a few examples — furniture, as well as an attraction for online services as well as subscriptions via subscription .

These trends seem to be confirmed at the end of the Covid crisis, and the budget available to the French for making online purchases does not seem to be decreasing. On the contrary, in 2030, this share of e-commerce in retail trade could reach 30% according to current estimates.

A growing market in France too is the entertainment market . Indeed, the French are entertained more than ever , and social networks are an integral part of their daily pleasures. Of the 65 million French people, more than 50 million are regularly active on social networks .

These 50 million always consume more, and spend an average of 1 hour and 46 minutes on these social networks . A trend not to be overlooked for companies using social selling , which are performing better than ever.

The Rise of Shopify Stores and the Decline of Brick & Mortar Stores

Before the pandemic, online stores like Shopify stores were already more successful than supermarkets . In 2020, the confinement caused by the Covid has further favored online purchases. Indeed, according to a study conducted by the organization 1WorldSync, up to 89% of consumers who bought online during confinement do not want to return to physical stores.

These numbers essentially mean that businesses that want to survive during and after the pandemic need to have a strong online presence . This has been the case for many physical shops wishing to stay in business during the confinements.

During this period of confinement, the GAFAM and NATU were able to achieve growth and profit rates never before achieved, thanks to the explosion of certain requests .

At the same time, physical “Brick & Mortar” stores have lost considerable turnover and must develop their customer experience as much as possible to attract consumers who have lost their way to the web.

The ideal is to maintain a physical presence, while developing an online store . You can have a Shopify site or an e-commerce site and create a site optimized for online sales easily, by using a Shopify Agency for example.

New consumer habit: Consumers are more interested in sustainable and/or ethical products

Already since 2010 and the Rana Plaza scandal, companies' CSR initiatives have multiplied and today we are witnessing a gain in consumer interest in eco-responsible and ethical products. And even if all consumers are not sensitive to this trend — Shein is today responsible for 22% of the carbon emissions of French teenage girls — around 71% of French people feel concerned by responsible consumption.

It is therefore essential today to position oneself in the sustainable and eco-responsible sector . Already in 2019, a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review showed that products presented as sustainable were five times more successful with consumers. This trend is now on the rise thanks to the marketing hammering inflicted by the environmental lobby groups on consumers.

To take an increasingly concrete example, in recent months Apple has increasingly revealed the process of recycling its iPhones with robots created specially by the firm to disassemble them, sort the parts and the raw material and then reuse all the materials in the manufacture of new iPhones.

The rise of companies like Backmarket also highlights consumers' willingness to reuse old devices by swapping them for newer older devices, which have either been repaired or salvaged by the company.

Organic is also entering the e-commerce market with online shops selling "healthy" products such as creams, balms and body products. Here is an example Shopify store right here .

However, this "sustainable and organic" trend needs to be qualified . Indeed, organic stores are currently experiencing a sudden halt and decline in market growth. This bad patch can be explained by the fact that hypermarkets and supermarkets have begun to switch to organic products.

Cheaper and in larger quantities, supermarkets and hypermarkets have therefore had a means of pressure on specialized organic stores , which have a weaker means of pressure due to their higher cost and their lower quantities.

"Love your customer": The importance of customer service and personalization

A key part of a successful business is providing excellent customer service . It's not just about being polite to your customers, it's about taking the time to get to know them and understand their needs.

By personalizing your customer service, you can build strong relationships with your customers and encourage loyalty . In today's competitive marketplace, customer service and personalization can be the differentiating factor that sets your business apart from the rest.

When customers feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to come back again and recommend you to their close circle (family, friends) . So be sure to rock your client by providing exceptional service and establishing a personal connection. It will pay off in the long run.

As Fred Reichheld points out in his book Winning On Purpose, "Love your Cutomer": Solve their need, make their life easier, improve their comfort, and they will return it to you .

Fred Reichheld is the inventor of NPS — Net, Promoter, Score.

NPS is a measure of customer loyalty developed by Fred Reichheld of Bain & Company and is first presented in his 2003 Harvard Business Review article titled "The One Number You Need to Grow".

The NPS is based on the concept that every company's customers can be grouped into three categories: Promoters, Passives and Detractors. We will therefore submit to customers a scale of 1 to 10 where they will place their satisfaction with your brand.

Promoters are loyal enthusiasts who will continue to buy and refer others, fueling growth

Passives are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offers

Detractors are unhappy customers who can harm your brand and hinder your growth through negative word-of-mouth.

To calculate NPS, you take the percentage of respondents who are promoters and subtract the percentage of detractors. This gives you the NPS score, which can vary from -100 (everyone is a detractor) to +100 (everyone is a promoter).

Most companies are in the "0 to +50" range . NPS is used as a growth indicator because happy customers buy more, stay longer, and recommend others, while unhappy customers do the opposite.

NPS can also be used to track customer satisfaction over time and identify areas where improvements need to be made.

Most large companies use the NPS , and we can notably cite Apple, FNAC or even Free using this method of calculating customer satisfaction.

Setting up an NPS can be very useful to you as a Shopify store, because you can more easily identify friction points in your visitors' shopping experience, and polish those there.

“Service First”: Increased demand for unique experiences

More and more consumers want to return to providers and businesses that offer them unique experiences. It's about everything a company can do to not only make a difference with its competitors, but also make the customer feel unique.

Think of unique ways to impress your customers, so they have a unique story to tell their friends. Technology is a very handy tool to impress your customers. Use it to deliver to your customers faster and more efficiently.

You can also develop virtual reality or augmented reality applications in order to present your products and your store to your customers in a virtual world.

This is a practice that is increasingly used by brands. The latest, crossroads with his 'Metaverse'

You need to develop the ability to put yourself in the customer's shoes. If you were a customer of your company, what would you like us to do to please you? This kind of question can give you lots of ideas for creating unique experiences for each of your users of your website.

New consumer habit: The growth of subscription services

When we think of subscriptions, the first name that comes to mind is Netflix, and with good reason. However, the growth of subscription services dates back several years. Consumers like subscriptions that bring them real benefits such as price reductions and other conveniences.

At the same time, a subscribed consumer is less likely to buy elsewhere, and may even order products from you that he would not have purchased if he were not a subscriber. A good subscription service is an ideal and simple way to increase sales while keeping a balanced marketing budget, with "predictable" cash flow. It is a win-win service that any owner must offer to his customers.

In short, because of new consumer buying habits, you must adapt in order to offer them what they are looking for. This is how you can stand out from the competition and increase your turnover.

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