Mobile to account for 55 per cent of internet sales in 2021, demonstrating importance of omnichannel

CHICAGO: Global market research company Euromonitor International released yesterday new retailing industry data alongside the report: “What’s New in Retail: Emerging Global Concepts.”

The new research showcases how the rise of omnichannel and demand for convenience are boosting innovation within the retail landscape.

According to Euromonitor International’s research, internet retailing will account for 13 per cent of global retail sales in 2021.

Within internet retailing, mcommerce is forecasted to account for 55 per cent of internet sales.

“Consumers will continue to research and shop across all channels, and retailers are employing omnichannel tactics to be where consumers are,” says Michelle Grant, head of retailing research at Euromonitor International.

“An example of this is Pointy, an app that allows consumers to search for products at nearby retailers in Dublin.”

The rising demand for convenience will also reshape the retail landscape, driven by socioeconomic and demographic trends. The urban population is forecasted to grow more than 30 per cent to 2030. Within modern grocers, discounters and convenience stores are the two highest growth channels with more than five per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2011 to 2016.

“The growth in these channels reflects consumers’ desire to maximize time and money, and the importance of smaller food stores that are easy to access and navigate,” says Tim Barrett, retailing analyst at Euromonitor International.

Technological advances will further perpetuate retailers’ convenience offerings. Locker stations as centralised delivery and pick-up locations are on the rise in developed countries to cater to convenience. This trend is now expanding into emerging markets as seen by PackASAP, the first company in Argentina to offer lockers for e- commerce deliveries.

“Retailers that can add convenience to consumers’ daily activities at the right price will be the best positioned to succeed,” says Barrett. — Bernama