2022 eCommerce Predictions – 26 eCommerce Experts Predict the Biggest Opportunities for Your Business

As we wrap up 2021, we have compiled the world’s largest collection of eCommerce experts and leaders to share their 2022 eCommerce predictions. Whilst it is impossible to truly predict what the next year will have in store, with this amount of industry expertise we are confident there is something that every eCommerce business can take away and implement in the New Year.

Every year were reach out to our partners and friends within the industry to hear their expert insight. Last year we had 16 leaders from the industry provide insight. This year however we have expanded that number to 26 industry leaders to give you a deeper pool from which to pull knowledge and inspiration.

2021 has felt a little more business as usual compared to 2020. Shipping companies and couriers have done a great job of learning their lessons from the previous year, and the extended sales period through November has led to another record-breaking year for many when it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday attributed sales.

Now is not the time for complacency though, there are still a lot of questions around the new Omicron variant and what potential impacts that could have on business in the next year. 2022 eCommerce has an equal number of opportunities and challenges. Whether it is the fact that getting good analytics data is becoming harder or the opportunities for social and interactive eCommerce are getting greater. The true challenge for 2022 eCommerce will lie in the individual businesses’ ability to navigate, strategize and optimize efficiently over the coming months.

With that said let’s hand it over to our industry experts for their 2022 eCommerce predictions.

2022 eCommerce Expert Predictions

eBay

“Three of the most important elements to win in social shopping are convenience, enthusiasm, and community. Convenience has been increasingly growing over the years as more and more consumers are expecting brands to meet them where they already are. Enthusiasm because you need buyers to be excited about what they’re buying so they continue to come back and enjoy the journey of finding those coveted items that oftentimes have an emotional component tied to them. And finally, community, which is all about the buyer-to-seller relationship. Buyers today want to have real-time, authentic connections to the brands and sellers they’re purchasing from and this will only continue to grow in the coming year.

Social shopping will start to incorporate more elements of charity giving and other for-good measures. We already know that buyers today are wanting goods that are more sustainable and meaningful. However, there’s a shift happening – especially with young consumers – who want to make sure their dollars are being put to good use. We’ll continue to see buyers make purchase decisions and spend money towards sellers who share their same values or support the same charities and organizations they do.

The pandemic reignited the desire for collectibles and the emotional tie between these goods and consumers is stronger than ever. COVID-19 forced us to go back to things we’re familiar with because we all wanted to find things to make us smile. This has evolved the way people are viewing the entire meaning of a collectible good, as we’re now seeing things like sneakers and trading cards emerge as the hot, new collectible items that haven’t traditionally been sought after in this way. Collecting today is more than just putting items in a cabinet somewhere – this is the new normal for collectibles.”

Etsy

“Data-driven marketers will be more challenged than ever in 2022. The data systems we rely on will only get more opaque, and our time-tested tactics will simply lose effectiveness. It will simply be harder to see what is working and what isn’t, and we’ll all need to adapt.

The winners will be those who can best navigate digital privacy.  The trends are unmistakable – continued shifts toward mobile and apps for both content and commerce, and less data for tracking and targeting (thank you Apple). Even web-based tracking will be impacted – goodbye, cookies!  Platforms will push for more onsite checkout for themselves, and less data for marketers.

But in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Those who use every ounce of what is available, mixed in with some creativity, will prevail in media auctions. The new crop of winners will embrace a creative combination of data, testing, modeling, and critical thinking. We’ll have to find new ways to measure the work we do, across not only media optimization but with critical work on brand messaging and content.  Our work is cut out for us, but aren’t we up for a challenge?”

Meta / Facebook

“Our research shows that more than three-quarters of global consumers (78 percent) say that the shopping experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. Understanding this, we believe 2022 will be the year where community and commerce come together like never before. After brands initially tested Live Shopping in 2021 we expect the format to break through and become more mainstream. 

Live Shopping will also continue to unlock new ways for businesses to leverage creators to help tell their brand story and provide the social, interactive shopping experience that has been lacking from eCommerce. By tapping into shopping events like Live Shopping, leveraging trusted creators, and engaging communities on platforms; sellers of all sizes have an opportunity to create more personalized shopping experiences while building stronger relationships with their customers.”

BigCommerce

“Optimized data will be the key to omnichannel success. Having an omnichannel strategy used to mean running both a physical store and an online store. Today, omnichannel has come to mean selling through an eCommerce storefront combined with a mix of third-party ads and marketplace platforms like Google, Amazon, Walmart, and Mercado Libre, and social commerce channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This momentum will not slow down in 2022 and beyond. If anything, omnichannel marketing will need to be amplified as part of every merchant’s strategy in order to remain even more competitive than ever.

Merchants will have to push harder to meet consumers where they are spending their time, where they start their shopping journeys, and where it is easy and convenient to click the buy button. The trick for merchants will be having a strategy that harmonizes managing their products, pricing, and fulfillment offerings across all channels a shopper might find them on, requiring product data (and supporting systems) to be coordinated behind the scenes.

As retailers have been adding more channels to sell on, they’ve learned that each varies in what information is required and how it is presented. Trying to manually manage those data differences, in real-time, for a large volume of products across multiple channels is not realistic or efficient. Merchants will need to invest in technology solutions that can automate the optimization and syndication of quality product data, across channels in order to drive their omnichannel growth.”

Linnworks

“2022 will be a challenging year for sellers as consumer demands accelerate towards convenience – and costs to meet those demands skyrocket. Social/marketing platforms and large retailers alike are realizing that their future includes 3rd party marketplace commerce at its core. 

This will lead to a number of new sales channels launching in 2022 that sellers must transact with to succeed. Unfortunately, this comes at a time of extreme cost pressure and labor shortages for sellers which will continue throughout the year. Consumers expect the buying experience to be, at a minimum, as convenient as Amazon, which leaves little forgiveness for inefficient operations within a seller’s organization.

The market pressure of these elements will greatly reward sellers who invest in technologies that allow them easily expand their sales channels while simultaneously minimizing additional overhead.”

Back Market

As marketplace adoption grows and more retail moves online, customers are going to be saturated with options. Choice overload! Like the infamous jam study, more options may drive more interest but that does not always translate into more purchases. Too many choices can be paralyzing. It is critical to offer an experience that easily helps customers to narrow in on the right product for their unique needs.

One way that Back Market does this today is through our buybox algorithm that prioritizes our seller’s quality score, displaying only one seller option for any specific model. No need to hunt through seller reviews to discover the most reliable seller. Back Market does that work for you ensuring that each customer sees only the highest quality product at the best price available across our network of hundreds of professional sellers.

Secondly, consumers are embracing more environmentally friendly habits and the gap between caring about the environment and actual consumption behaviors is starting to shrink, fueling the secondary economy. One in five shoppers says that since the pandemic began, they have acquired more environmentally friendly habits and 37% see manufacturers as the most important stakeholder to limit environmental damage. And it’s true! Consider the smartphone you are most likely reading this message on, 80% of your smartphone’s carbon emissions were made during the manufacturing. By extending the lives of our everyday electronics and minimizing the need to buy brand new devices, Back Market is significantly lowering the harmful impact that the initial manufacturing and production have on the environment.

DHL eCommerce Solutions

“In 2022 eCommerce sellers will face various challenges that are not new to them. Online merchants can expect that the unpredictability in the supply chain is here to stay. In the first quarter and possibly into the second quarter of the year, we can expect continuous strain in capacity that affects almost every industry. Since the pandemic, online merchants have faced consumers significantly altering their buying habits. This has led to a permanent shift in purchasing essential and non-essential items online, requiring that sellers adopt, if they have not already, good inventory management software to properly control the ebb and flow in demand throughout 2022. 

Another significant challenge I believe we will see well into next year is that of overcoming the labor shortage. This is a challenge for online merchants and companies seeking skilled and unskilled workers. The key for online merchants to attract and retain talent will be finding what sets them apart and what benefits they can offer, including flexible work schedules, training, and promotions.”

Frooition

“Over the last 24 months, the global pandemic has served as an incredible accelerant in the world of eCommerce. While social distancing regulations and lockdowns forced many traditional businesses to quickly move their business models online, pure-play online retailers have had to “up their game” in response to the new competition. Unfortunately, we will see a continuation of this situation in 2022.

If retailers want to thrive rather than just survive in the “new normal”, they are just going to have to try harder, and that means optimizing everything they do to sell online. This ongoing challenge is reflected in the fact that many sellers have recently been telling us that their eBay sales have fallen off of a cliff. However, this experience isn’t universal. The sellers that are doing well are constantly investing in optimizing their listings in line with the latest eBay seller updates and experimenting with new marketing strategies including promoted listings. They are also looking towards new opportunities on other marketplaces and ramping up their businesses on powerful eCommerce platforms like BigCommerce.

In 2022, complacency will be the biggest threat to your business. At Frooition, we are committed to providing the insight, technology, and design to help you optimize your eCommerce business and overcome the hurdles that prevent you from selling more.”

Auctane

“In 2021, retailers became highly aware of the massive customer experience issues resulting from the supply chain delays — creating a critical need to communicate inventory availability early on and often as the key to ensuring customer satisfaction. As a result, next year will be “The Year of Inventory Visibility.” Retailers adopting omnichannel inventory management strategies will experience less strain in the coming year, while their peers who did not will still be reeling from the 2021 holiday shopping season.

Many retailers will recruit sellers and become third-party marketplaces — meeting consumers where they already are. Understanding how inventory visibility tools might fit within a technology stack will be key for retailers allowing them to communicate in real-time limited quantities to their customers and providing visibility into where the product is at all times. Those who succeed here will need a strong product assortment AND inventory supply of products in-store and on the Web site from 3P sellers — raising a key future question of whether physical stores will accept returns from 3P sellers.”

Ware2Go

“The biggest fulfillment challenge for merchants this year will be staffing appropriately when their labor needs are unevenly dispersed throughout the workweek. Because most online shopping happens on the weekend, merchants are going to have significantly more pick, pack, and ship volume Saturday through Tuesday compared to the rest of the week.

These merchants will have a hard time negotiating for labor when they can’t guarantee volume across the entire week. One good option is to partner with an on-demand warehousing provider like Ware2Go that will aggregate their order volume with other merchants to secure labor on the days they need it without having to pay for it on the days they don’t.

Merchants’ greatest opportunities in the coming year will be leveraging micro-fulfillment opportunities to take advantage of services like Roadie in densely populated areas. The best way to leverage same-day delivery without eroding margins is to take a highly targeted approach to SKU management and inventory distribution. 

Merchants should focus on their highest-velocity SKUs to minimize their footprint within warehouses. With fewer SKUs, they could leverage, say 5,000 square feet of storage space in 9 strategic markets across the country as opposed to 50,000 square feet in only 3 markets. This level of targeting can only be achieved with supply chain technology that has two core capabilities:

1. Threading together a network of warehouses so inventory can easily be moved in and out of warehouses to take advantage of changing patterns of demand.
2. Forecasting and recommending not only geographic placement of inventory but also appropriate levels of inventory at each location.

With these pieces in place, merchants can get really targeted in their marketing, advertising same-day, next-day, and second-day delivery promises to the right customers to win the buy box and double down on the velocity of their best performing SKUs.”

Sendle

“The shipping and logistics industry needs to hit the reset button on sustainability in 2022.  Sustainability in the supply chain space is more important than ever now that we are in a global climate crisis. Greenifying business operations, whether it’s through sustainable packaging, transitioning to electric vehicle (EV) fleets, or carbon offsetting your emissions will not only help protect and repair the environment but encourage other high polluting industries to follow suit. In fact, the industry will become less wasteful, polluting, and more resilient if it starts to take a circular economy approach.

There are many reputable environmental organizations ready to help eCommerce businesses big and small to drastically reduce their carbon footprints and packaging waste. Online retail and its critical seasons (e.g. Black Friday, holiday shopping, etc.) have an often hidden environmental impact, so the least we can do is take action to protect the environment while we sell, shop and ship.”

ShipHero

“While eCommerce saw an unprecedented boom during the pandemic, the biggest challenge for online retailers moving into 2022 is sustaining that momentum and staying ahead of eCommerce trends. Brands will need to invest heavily in their online marketplaces as online shopping, and extensions of those marketplaces such as social commerce, are expected to increase by billions of dollars in the next year. The category of social media shopping (social commerce) alone is projected to grow to $50 billion, and Gen Z is leading this shift to a digital-first shopping experience. 

As we move into this new era of eCommerce, last-mile delivery will need to follow suit with seamless and efficient offerings to support small to medium retailers. The global supply chain delays in 2021 served as a catalyst for restructuring how we work, without question, but moving into 2022 we should look at this as an opportunity for the entire retail ecosystem to evolve the way we work and ultimately connect with new customers.”

Quickbooks Intuit

“In 2022, small businesses must accelerate their adoption of an omnichannel sales strategy in order to expand their customer base and meet customers where they are. Whether via Amazon or Etsy, on social media, or on their own eCommerce site, we know from our recent Small Business Insights report that boosting online sales revenue is the number one priority of business owners – and it’s clear why. Already 88% of small businesses rely on online sales, and more than two in five (42%) say they will become more reliant on online sales in the next year. This is even true for brick and mortar businesses, with 74% reporting online revenue will be important in 2022. 

One growing channel that presents a major opportunity is the use of social media for sales. Based on our data, revenue from social media now accounts for 33% of small business revenue, on average. Even brick-and-mortar businesses get 22% of their sales via social media. Look for online sellers to increasingly diversify the platforms they sell on digitally to capitalize on this massive opportunity in 2022.”

Pitney Bowes

“With great popularity comes great scalability…challenges. While in-store sales saw some return to form in 2021, they’re still down versus 2019. Meanwhile, eCommerce continues to explode—2021 YTD non-store sales as of the end of November are up 39% versus 2019. This rapid market expansion, paired with competition among major platforms, puts digital direct-to-consumer brands between a rock and a hard place: the costs of both acquiring and delivering to customers are becoming more expensive than ever.

The effectiveness of advertising has fallen victim as social media apps, mobile platforms and marketplaces find ways to fence one another in. We expect that brands seek out new ways to get in front of consumers; many have already created partnerships with brick-and-mortar retailers to offer exclusive and featured assortments on store shelves, just as many chain stores launch their own marketplaces. This will make the channel mix more complex than ever for eCommerce marketers and inventory planners.

Meanwhile, the cost of logistics—from inbound supply chain to last-mile delivery—has become more challenging as well. As infrastructure and delivery networks try to catch up to support the growth of online shopping, the market is becoming more fragmented. Ultra-fast delivery is grabbing headlines in dense urban areas, but housing markets in less populated regions and secondary metros have seen the greatest growth—meaning many of the most affluent consumers are now living in areas that are the most expensive to deliver to. This will create further pressure on digital brands to lower the cost of delivery, either by sacrificing speed or passing shipping costs onto consumers”

Aisle3

“Covid is here to stay, so the convenience and safety of online shopping will continue to comfort Shoppers. Sadly it’s all too easy to confine the acceleration of eCommerce growth to a handful of Big Tech advertisers and marketplaces across the globe – none of which do a particularly good job for Shoppers when it comes to discovery and experience.

Even with the behavioral shift to eCommerce, brands and retailers are going to need to engage Shoppers likely to discover and shop via Social Media or who seek out more sustainable, ethical, or green products and businesses.

At aisle 3, we’re betting on building a better way to aggregate products and offers so that Shoppers will see all of their buying options in one place in parallel with surfacing offers from retailers they may never have heard of – simply because of the cost or effort to appear in Google or on Marketplaces like Amazon. Technology is at an inflection point where this now becomes effortless for retailers and brands who are otherwise used to juggling multiple sales channels or advertising initiatives.”

Zellis Unified Commerce

“After meteoric advances in online shopping and digital technology adoption during the pandemic, 2022 is going to be a massive year for the digital economy.

The once mysterious world of cryptocurrency will venture further into mainstream finance, investment, and consumer participation.  Gamification will emerge as a dominant theme in 2022 eCommerce.  Already real-time concerts and exhibitions are being held in the metaverse featuring well-known artists, along with NFT merchandise.  The younger digitally native generation is comfortable moving freely between physical and online and is the largest demographic participating in crypto and NFTs.  New products, experiences, and venues are emerging, and early indications are that there’s billions to be made in this rapidly expanding digital space.

Digital-physical associations will become more prevalent through NFT validation of physical products purchased.  Commercial and government exploration of blockchain technology will continue, yielding some novel applications with big possibilities and new paradigms.

Video commerce will continue its ascendancy.  We’ve already gotten used to communicating online and now retailers are starting to offer real-time video interaction to their customers.

Agile retailers who can identify and deploy relevant applications of these emerging digital technologies and experiences will appeal to an increasingly engaged and zealous audience.”

Loomly

“Virtual goods will be the main opportunity for 2022 eCommerce sellers, as a result of several factors converging in a timely manner.

On the one hand, supply chain disruption and inflation caused by the pandemic make it more challenging — and expensive — to produce and deliver physical products to consumers. On the other hand, we are seeing increased interest in and adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets by a mainstream audience. The support of NFTs by leading eCommerce platform Shopify, and public attention drawn to the metaverse by Meta, make it easier than ever to create, sell, and use digital goods.

One practical application of all the above is digital clothing. You can buy an outfit as an NFT, and then either “wear it” in a photo posted on social media or as a skin in a video game. 

For eCommerce sellers operating outside of the fashion world, other types of digital goods include artworks, premium content, proprietary currencies, and upgraded memberships.”

Yotpo

“Brands will view data as a value exchange. Perhaps the most important (and most jolting) news to emerge this year was the announcement of privacy changes from Apple and the depreciation of the cookie from Google. Apple’s move to tighten privacy protections has brought about stricter limitations on targeted ads, data sharing, and reporting capabilities for app users.

Across the industry, marketers have expressed concern over the subsequent heightened acquisition costs. Over 55% of digital marketers believe the changes will lead to less personalized consumer experiences, and 50% of digital marketers say privacy concerns will persist even after cookies go away. Over 29% of companies have lowered their social media advertising spend as a result.  Amongst these changes, brands must pivot to continue to drive growth in sustainable ways. 

In 2022 eCommerce brands will come to view data as a value exchange. According to a Yotpo survey, 44% of brands already believe that first-party data received directly from customers is more valuable than data from cookies. In return for first and zero-party data, brands will work to create exceptional experiences beyond their product offering through strategies like superior customer service, loyalty rewards, personalized recommendations, advanced access, and more. 

In some ways, the answer is what we’ve always known: brands need to create value for customers that gives them a reason to organically choose you, and agree to share their data and participate in your community.”

ShippingEasy

“The number of small businesses has skyrocketed over the past two years, due in large part to COVID. This means that SMBs are likely to have even more competition in 2022. And with the welcomed increase in the number of small businesses, consumer expectations have also evolved. As a result, SMBs must find additional ways to offer services, shipping options (including free shipping whenever possible), and visibility to align with real-time consumer needs and demands. Those SMBs who don’t will miss out.

According to a recent study, 71% of consumers expect free shipping, including from SMBs. And when necessary, more than half (52%) said that they will turn to larger retailers when SMBs have unclear shipping or return practices. Bottom line: SMBs must have efficient and effective ways to offer that communication to customers or they risk losing them to other businesses with better communication strategies.”

Optiseller

“As we look forward to 2022 eCommerce will continue to see an upward trend of people shopping online, and retailers will need to continue to utilize new technology to ensure their listings stand out from the crowd.   

However, the biggest challenge for online retailers in 2022 will not come from new technology, trends, competition, advanced techniques, but rather things that are less within their control – the more mundane realities of politics and economics. 

In the UK, the big struggles are likely to continue to be staffing and stock due to Brexit. The country is finding adapting to losing its place in the world’s biggest market difficult and there are no instant solutions to the current ongoing disruption. 

Global distribution will continue to be a problem as the result of COVID-19 and the climate emergency which caused so much disruption in 2021. With the worrying news on the Omicron variant, further lockdowns, or staff shortages due to self-isolation, are still a very real threat. 

High inflation and mortgage rate increases will also mean less spending power generally and a pent-up desire to travel could mean more discretionary income being spent on holidays and less on material goods, should the travel sector open up further in 2022.”

Avalara

“In 2022 eCommerce, the burden of tax compliance will be one of the main challenges for sellers. Over the past couple of years, more sellers have gone online, which has created new opportunities to reach customers and grow sales. 

However, expanded online sales have created remote sales tax obligations for sellers, increasing the risk and complexity associated with tax. Looking ahead, the pandemic-driven growth of eCommerce will continue to normalize and more sellers will continue to embrace omnichannel commerce to reach customers across multiple channels, which will create even more tax challenges. 

As eCommerce sellers extend their reach into new geographies and channels, they will inevitably encounter new tax obligations and need the help of automated solutions to manage everything from registrations to tax calculations to tax returns.”

Airship

“Consumers are becoming more selective about what, when, where, and how they share information with businesses, all while brands continue to contend with the impending demise of third-party cookies, increasing data privacy regulations, and app tracking changes from Apple and Android. We’re living in a customer-first world, where sellers must create direct digital connections that offer always-on utility, streamlined and convenient experiences, and individualized control to reach deeper into the hearts and minds of customers.

Mobile apps are and will increasingly be at the center of the customer experience far into the future. Apps enable personalized exchanges with customers, and can uniquely blend the digital and physical worlds to provide complete brand experiences and streamlined conveniences 24/7. Apps also create the kind of value exchange that’s essential for any sustainable relationship, with the best ones building reciprocity into the very fabric of their technology and brand promise. It’s a fundamental value exchange of the best kind for everyone involved.

No matter the metric, a great mobile app will consistently outperform any traditional approach to brand experience management. Consider the reality of how consumers perceive the ever-growing volume of brand email marketing. A recent Airship survey of 9,000 global consumers shows 1 out of 2 people always or often ignore emails from brands to which they’ve subscribed, while 3 out of 4 people ignore emails at least half the time or more. A decade of mobile experience has conditioned consumers to expect immediacy, relevancy, and simplicity, to which email simply can’t keep pace.

For 2022 eCommerce and beyond, it’s imperative that sellers transition to first- and zero-party data strategies to create direct customer relationships, improve their customer understanding, and provide more opportunities to create greater mutual benefit. There’s no better place to do that than on a mobile app.”

Onfleet

“There is a huge opportunity for retailers to take control of the last mile in 2022 eCommerce. As retailers scrambled to offer delivery to their customers during the pandemic, many flocked to aggregators like DoorDash and Instacart. Now they’re thinking about the longer-term strategy and realizing that those third parties are owning their customers and the data, and therefore are controlling the margins and will effectively commoditize the retailer.

The emergence of new modes of delivery (e.g. sidewalk robots, drones) will also drive retailers to want more direct control over their last-mile operations, bringing deliveries in-house as warranted, and working with third parties when it makes sense to do so.

Additionally, eCommerce sellers will have to manage growing consumer demand for ultra-fast delivery in 2022. For retailers considering the option, it will be important to balance customer expectations and demands with operations. Consider everything from the ability to ramp up the workforce to whether it’s possible to optimize behind-the-scenes logistics to make the ROI worthwhile.”

Shippo

“As we approached this year’s holiday season, many experts looked at ongoing supply chain delays, logistical issues, and driver delays—on top of increased 2022 eCommerce shipping volume—and expressed significant concern around carrier capacity and the ability to ensure on-time package delivery. As a result, merchants were encouraged to diversify their carrier mix and look beyond the Big 4 towards regional carriers that could help support holiday volume.

The holiday season highlighted that, while effective, the regional carriers still have work to do to meet the capacity and efficiency of national carriers, but they are becoming an increasingly important part within our shipping ecosystem, and I expect to see the usage of regional carriers continue to grow in 2022 eCommerce.

Consumer expectations around delivery have been forever changed, and regardless of supply chain issues or global pandemics, consumers expect their purchases to be delivered quickly. What’s more, 2022 eCommerce shipping volume shows no signs of slowing, which necessitates the availability of additional carrier options. Moving into the new year, we’ll see increased investment from regional carriers looking to bulk up facilities and delivery capacity, and we’ll see more merchants turning to platforms like Shippo to help surface these carriers and leverage their benefits.”

Logicbroker

“Supply chain challenges will continue into 2022 eCommerce and perhaps get a little worse before they get better. Retailers’ and manufacturers’ initial challenge of finding products will transition into a widespread problem of inventory visibility. Parts, products, and goods will be built and available.

However, retailers looking for finished goods will have difficulties sourcing alternative parts. The only way to remedy this and complete goods faster will be having better visibility into raw materials and parts.

In 2022 eCommerce businesses that haven’t embraced digital transformation will continue to struggle. Companies that have invested in proactive monitoring to analyze where they need parts (exact or alternative pieces) will be prepared for the challenge.

Through implementing thoughtful technology and processes, businesses will be able to bring their products to the market at a lightning pace compared to their competitors. Though supply chain and inventory channels may start to improve — it’s important to be realistic, as “improve” isn’t the same as “resolve”. One thing is clear if businesses haven’t upgraded the way they get their products into market – they should before the new year.”

PCA Group

“eCommerce platforms and companies will see the impact of ongoing supply chain delays and labor shortages, well into 2022 and likely 2023. Depending on the size of the brand or marketplace, the impacts could have a varying level of severity. 

However, despite this, marketplaces, such as Amazon, will likely leverage their dominance to squeeze brands and agencies, further complicating growth within the space. In addition, media costs will continue to rise to potentially untenable levels for small brands, which will require a diverse, omnichannel approach to growth, increasing the need to leverage social shopping strategies on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.”

Thank You!

We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the experts above for taking time out of their incredibly busy schedules in what is likely their busiest time of the year to provide you with such great insight into what small to medium eCommerce businesses can be expecting for 2022 eCommerce.

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