According to Portuguese government estimates, online shopping should have accounted for around 56% of GDP, which corresponds to 129.5 billion euros and indicates an increase of 219% between 2011 and the present day.
The growth of e-commerce in Portugal is not unique. All over the world, e-commerce has become the market of choice for millions of consumers who see it as a simpler, more convenient, faster and safer way to make their purchases.
The focus on developing e-commerce channels and, above all, the constant introduction of technologies that make consumers' online shopping journey more intuitive, informed and immediate have contributed greatly to this.
Main trends in global E-Commerce to watch out for in 2023
As we reach 2023, this evolution won't stop and, on the horizon, we can already see the emergence of trends that will mark not only this year, but also the near future.
In order to offer your customers a more enjoyable and simpler online shopping experience, thereby increasing sales and the average ticket of each purchase (average amount spent on each purchase), take note of what will be the main e-commerce trends at a global level throughout 2023.
Omnichannel experience
The integrated offer of an online sales channel and a traditional sales channel (physical shop) is already one of the main e-commerce trends worldwide, but its penetration will increase throughout 2023, especially with the increase in purchases by generation Z consumers.
According to a study by Selligent Marketing Cloud, although generation Z has grown up with greater access to technology, it doesn't mean that these consumers are any more enthusiastic than their predecessors. This generation "expects technology to enhance their physical experiences, rather than replace them".
According to the study, this age group shows a clear preference for in-store shopping (59% visit a shop at least once a week) when compared to Millennials, especially in the electronics (43% vs. 37%) and clothing (43% vs. 40%) categories.
This multichannel aspect of new consumers, which in time will end up reaching consumers from other generations, should lead retailers to seek to offer an integrated shopping experience that, for example, allows a product to be ordered online and picked up in the physical shop or even puts digital technology at the service of the physical shop with the possibility of the consumer paying for the purchase online or even introducing self-service, as already exists in some food retailers.
In addition, the omnichannel experience of your business can reap great benefits in terms of marketing by using the online sales platform and social networks to advertise in-store promotions or activate loyalty packages.
In this field, the same study reveals that generation Z tends to use influencers on platforms such as TikTok (23%, twice as many as other generations) or Youtube (49%, compared to 37% for Millennials) to search for information.
Mobile shopping
It is estimated that there are around 7.26 billion mobile phone users on planet Earth, meaning that roughly 91% of the world's population has at least one of these devices.
A large proportion of these devices are smartphones which, with an Internet connection, allow consumers to search, buy and pay online anywhere and at any time.
More and more consumers in Portugal and around the world are using their smartphones to make and pay for online purchases.
Various studies estimate that by 2024, 69% of all sales will be made via these devices, "forcing" online shops to not only optimise their sites for these mobile devices, but also to provide payment methods that are suitable for this new way of shopping.
For example, REDUNIQ offers you two payment options online payment solutions, o REDUNIQ E-Commerce and REDUNIQ@PaymentsThis is a great way to simplify checkout and refunds, adapting them to the new mobile consumption habits of customers.
Social Commerce
In the wake of the growth of mobile commerce comes another trend: social commerce.
With more and more people having their first contact with a brand via social networks or using these same networks to search for and/or obtain information about a particular product or service from other users, by 2023 it will become imperative for online businesses to focus on marketing strategies that have social media at their centre to attract and retain more customers.
According to the study "The Future of Commerce", sales made via social networks reached the 992 billion dollar mark last year, a figure that could rise to 2.9 trillion dollars by 2026.
The same report tells us that social commerce is a "key aspect" in bringing online businesses closer to their target consumers, and it is estimated that by 2023 it will generate 30.73 billion dollars, i.e. around 20% of total e-commerce sales worldwide.
Once again, generation Z consumers have a say in these figures, as they are the generation that most relies on social networks to decide on a purchase or search for a product, particularly through the TikTok network, as mentioned above.
That's why, when creating a marketing and sales strategy on social media, it's important to invest in hiring or establishing partnerships with influencers who have a lot of traction online to help give your business visibility and attract "pre-qualified" customers, i.e. those who are already aware and ready to make a purchase on your website or Marketplace page.
EN 
PT