During the pandemic, and especially in lockdown, online shopping was the only way for many people to get goods. Many shops were completely closed, or consumers avoided stores for fear of catching the virus. Even though the pandemic is now, hopefully, slowly coming to an end and vaccinations are progressing well, an end to the online shopping hype is not in sight.
According to a survey by Checkout.com, the majority of European online shoppers (74%) also want to keep the frequency of their online orders in the future. For the report “The New State of Retail”, Checkout.com surveyed more than 10,000 consumers and 500 online retailers.
Respondents said that, even after lockdowns end and local shops reopen, they will not change the shopping habits they had during the lockdowns.
During the lockdowns last year, 96% of consumers in Europe shopped online, 60% more than in 2019. It now looks as if the tendency to shop online will continue even with restrictions easing and offline shopping on offer.
On the other hand, the shop operators surveyed said they had not expected a rise in cross-border orders across Europe last year.
They therefore often did not have the payment methods needed to meet demand from new markets in Europe. That ultimately led to lost revenue. 74% of online retailers also do not offer checkout in the local language. And two out of three do not offer local payment methods in every country they serve.
The online shopping hype remains strong after the pandemic too. A survey shows that 74% of European online shoppers plan to keep shopping online frequently. But many online retailers were not prepared well enough to handle the rise in cross-border orders. This gap between supply and demand could lead to lost revenue. It will be crucial for online shops to set themselves up better so they can meet the new requirements.