This article is your crystal ball into the future (well...a little bit of it)
Young consumers will change the commerce landscape
The pandemic has fired a huge behavioural shift to eCommerce and throughout the next couple of years, the younger generation will continue to push this forward. Therefore you must look into a full omnichannel strategy, we'll go into that later but invest in your social media,
Identity is incredibly personal, consumers are already beginning to challenge the "status quo" moving away from definitions of race, gender and sexuality. Choosing a more self-defined and fluid approach to their identity. Young consumers are leading and will continue to lead this change. Gender-fluid fashion will see a huge increase by 2022.
Also, we will see a rise in flexible pronouns to unisex nurseries and gender neutral options for all needs. By 2022, you'll see a lot of big brands stray away from "gendered" colours. You can see some are already doing this, Mattel has brought a gender-neutral doll onto the market.
Mattel Launches Gender Inclusive Doll Line Inviting All Kids to Play | Mattel, Inc.
They will be driven by social media for purchases, and prefer green and sustainable products. They will want to buy from shops that have a social impact.
Caring about consumption
Pushing into 2021-2022 there will be a huge requirement for sustainability and eco-friendly products and consumers will be very much aware of their waste. If you look on Instagram, people see new products and their comments are consistently about how is it packaged, is it recyclable etc.
Balance is key
Consumers will be looking to try to find a more balanced life in what has been a terrible 2020, and mindfulness will be a key purchase detail for them. Technology will be improved for sleeping, and the focus will be on gift items to ease stress, anxiety and burnout.
Home hub
Yes, home is where the heart it, but now it's your gym, your office, your classroom! 2021 will see a huge increase in home decor in a unique and personalised manner. Wellness lights, weighted blankets and indoor gardens to create harmony.
Home Trends for 2021 Imagine Spaces That Just Work Better | Well+Good (wellandgood.com)
Let's talk Omnichannel
This will give you a huge potential benefit, and it's a rather exciting prediction.
So, what on earth is omnichannel and how can it benefit you? An omnichannel retail strategy provides the customer will a fully integrated shopping experience by knitting together customer experience from brick-and-mortar to everything in between. This means, that companies need to adapt and be "seen" everywhere.
While consumers are in search of a more mindful approach to their spending, they also desire
something that is authentic and unique to them. Focusing your attention on this will encourage customers to keep their relationship with you, increasing loyalty.
Consumers now check prices, reviews and consult social media before buying and this will continue into 2022 but at a deeper level. They will no longer be doing it for "the best price" they're doing it to find value and trust within an independent company.
Key developments by the end of 2022 include in-store appointments, one can only hope that we'll have a sense of normality by the end of 2022, but consumers will still want a really personal experience if possible.
Questions to ask yourself
- Can your customers browse a product in-store, scan it with your app, and then add it to their bag to purchase later at home in a different size/colour?
- Can they browse your online store for new products, explore those products on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, and then get an in-store voucher to redeem?
- Does your data connect in-store purchases so that loyal customers get notified via Messenger when similar similar products are released online or off?
Like me, I imagine most of us would say no but this is a consumer trend which is going to get bigger over the next few years so consider those questions and think about how you can adapt.
15 Examples of Brands With Brilliant Omni-Channel Experiences (hubspot.com)
Consumers will want you!
Currently, consumers are saying that they want to support independents but data shows they are still swaying towards the online giants (amazon etc). However, predictions for 2021-2022 show that consumers will start to adapt their buying habits to buy from local independents. The shift will mainly be due to personal value which we have discussed.
Again, shoppable social media will be a trend that will grow at a rapid rate over the next few years and conversational commerce will help you achieve higher growth if you begin adapting soon.