There was good news for eCommerce brands coming out of the holiday sales season. eCommerce sales were up 11% in 2021 for the holiday season over 2020 and online sales were up an incredible 61% from 2019.
We have covered many of the trends throughout the season, including supply chain woes that motivated shoppers to buy even before the traditional start of the season and fears of empty shelves that were not as severe as predicted. The good news for the second year in a row is further evidence that buyers have changed their behavior and that it could well last through the end of the pandemic.
After all that good news, what lies ahead in 2022? The big unknown will of course continue to be the pandemic. Will the the Omicron variant continue to impact retail and will there be new variants? The answer is…likely yes, but all we can say is we will all have to wait to find out for the precise data.
Retail Dive offers a glimpse at what might be in store this year in 10 Retail Trends to Watch in 2022. Here four key takeaways:
- Supply chain woes are here to stay and if you have not already, think about how you might improve your network and look to beat the woes by onshoring suppliers, if you can
- Labor is scarce and many employers are competing by increasing wages, all this will cause you to think about how you can attract the staff you need
- Inflation will touch every part of your business from suppliers, employee wage expectations and even your utility bills. On the procurement side fuel costs and equipment shortages will hit your bottom line
- Retailers will try everything they can to draw consumers into the store or at least to buy online and pick up in store, eCommerce brands will need to watch trends across product lines to ensure that sales do not slip away.
We will keep you informed throughout the year and as always, we welcome your thoughts at marketing@freestylesolutions.com.
