Image and Voice Activated Search May Make up 50% of all Searches by 2020

eCommerce will soon account for 15% of all specialty retail sales in North America (in China, eCommerce is 23% of all retail) and digital influences nearly 60% of all retail sales. Fueled by mobile, which saw sales increase 55% in a year, eCommerce in North America grew by 16% in 2018 to over $500 billion.

How we interact, discover and purchase goods (as well as return them) is now a 24/7 cycle. And not just in retail, but in B2B as well, where eCommerce integration has become priority #1.

Customer journeys now merge online and in-store. The notion that eCommerce is a distinct store or activity is disappearing; digital and in-person are now intricately linked, creating the symbiotic commercial ecosystem we call omnichannel – or, quite simply, business. New effects are emerging, such as that of returns, which have skyrocketed to nearly half a trillion dollars.

As one of North America’s leading eCommerce agencies with retail and B2B clients such as Fujifilm, Structube, Bench, BMR, Stokes, Garneau, La Vie en Rose, Birks and SAIL – to name just a few – Absolunet has a front row seat when it comes to eCommerce trends. Here are 10 eCommerce trends to watch for in 2019—important developments that companies need to consider to ensure the growth of their online and in-store sales growth.