Prior to joining RedCat in 2014 to head up the Ecommerce team, I had only really heard of these ‘shopping websites’.
For me, shopping was all about grabbing the girls, having a browse around our favourite stores and probably grabbing a cheeky vino afterwards with all our shopping bags.
However, working in the industry and speaking on a daily basis to the professionals that have put my shopping world online, I had to test out the ‘ecommerce experience’.
Big mistake or best experience ever? My bank account would say big mistake but that is probably because it was the best experience ever.
In 2017, the UK is expected to generate £71.67 billion in online sales, which would be an 11{a990e605127f06bac58d8f530ec8d3ddc1721ced564bd12be3752b381e1e9f7f} increase on 2016. With the ecommerce market growing, are consumers opting to shop chilling in front of their PC, mobile or tablet because technology is making us lazy or is it these technological advancements that are making us better shoppers?
I cannot get through the day without a promotion or discount code coming into my inbox. Why wouldn’t I check out the chance to possibly bag a bargain? Surely that makes me savvy, not lazy?
The whole online customer experience has given us the ability to watch what we are spending as we add, and sometimes remove, items from our online shopping cart. This removes the potential shock at the counter and prayer to the gods that your card will be authorised as you are too embarrassed to put something back!
Perhaps as online consumers, it’s not fair to brand us lazy or savvy. Ecommerce has undoubtedly added a stream of convenience to our shopping habits and with today’s fast paced lifestyles, it eliminates having to find time that potentially you don’t have. In contradiction to laziness, it could be argued that we are not lazy but being savvy with our time. However, with the genius that is email marketing and online promotions, the impulse to spend unnecessarily might not be the definition of a smart shopper. A smart Ecommerce business, yes!
As ecommerce continues to grow and evolves, I would love to hear from my network on this debate, both fellow consumers and the ecommerce professionals responsible for my wounded bank account.
Give me a shout with your thoughts on 0207 2657800 or email me on sjc@redcat-digital.com
Written by Sarah Childs, Head of Ecommerce and Web Analytics
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjchilds/
Twitter: @childsey_sj / @RedCat_Digital
Facebook: RedCat Digital
Google+: RedCat Digital
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