Leading ad design platform Creatopy has released new research to help companies understand what consumers expect from e-commerce businesses in 2022.

Creatopy is study of over 1,000 U.S. consumer shoppers has revealed the factors and experiences that will shape shopping habits in 2022—from online vs. in-store shopping to sustainable action to how businesses obtain and use data.

The complete study can be found here: 10 Consumer Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2022

Online Shopping Is Here to Stay

As the pandemic accelerates the shift to e-commerce, digital shopping experiences are set to remain a priority for U.S. consumers. When asked how they did their shopping in the past month, 30% of respondents reported shopping primarily online, and nearly 8% said they’d shopped online only. Another 36% made purchases equally online and in-store.

Shoppers have high expectations from these online experiences, especially regarding delivery and availability. 55% of consumers stated that fast and reliable delivery is their biggest concern, with 44% wanting delivery to be free. In comparison, 46% of respondents said in-stock availability of products was their main reason for shopping online.

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In-Store Experiences Still Matter 

The study showed that against a backdrop of vaccine uptake, in-person shopping experiences are still important to consumers. 64% of respondents said this is because in-store shopping provides the ability to see, touch, and try the products, 51% said it gives a sense of instant gratification, and 43% of consumers said it makes local products available.

In addition, the in-store experience itself is still something that customers view as important. The ability to quickly navigate the aisles (41%), helpful sales personnel (21%) and the product displays, the way the products are showcased (16%) were among the top three choices.

Today’s Consumer Is Mobile-First

And as digital adoption increases as a result of the pandemic, mobile experiences will be crucial for businesses to get right. When asked which device they use the most to browse products online, mobile was the number one choice among our respondents, with a whopping 65%. PC came in second with 23%, followed by tablet with 8%.

Consumers Are Divided Over Data Access

As third-party cookies are phased out, we asked the participants whether they would be comfortable giving their personal data directly to companies as an alternative to allowing third-party cookie tracking. 52% of respondents said that they would not be comfortable sharing data directly with companies. In comparison, 48% would be comfortable, emphasizing the growing importance of building direct relationships with customers and collecting first-party data instead of relying on intermediaries. It also presents a challenge for businesses to make the case to consumers that sharing their data has the right benefits for the end-user to justify it.

Social Media Drives Consumer Interest

With more consumers discovering products on social media nowadays, the survey confirms that people purchase based on what they see on social media. When asked about it, 50% of respondents reported doing so in the past three months. Advertising is also an essential part of this discovery process, as 28% of respondents who purchased something they saw on social media did so after seeing an advert or sponsored post.

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