Is Ecommerce Still Going Strong?

Is the web too saturated with ecomm sites?

[pursuer]

Ecommerce grew 16 percent in the second quarter compared to a year ago, according to comScore. The research firm said the desktop spending figure was $49.8 billion, with mobile shopping adding another $4.7 billion in Q2 spending, a 24% increase year-over-year.

read more at source [ecommercebytes.com]

My question is: how long will this growth last? Does eCommerce sitebuilding market saturating these days?

[edited by: lorax at 12:12 pm (utc) on Aug 15, 2013]
[edit reason] edited for Fair Use [/edit]

[piatkow]

No idea but the market will eventually reach maturity and growth will level off. This happens in every sector and with every product but somehow people are still surprised when it happens.

[topr8]

there is a long way to go before ecommerce levels off i think.

[pursuer]

"No idea but the market will eventually reach maturity and growth will level off. This happens in every sector and with every product but somehow people are still surprised when it happens."

Ok. But how much time will it take? What is your prognosis?

[lorax]

I believe eCommerce will be with us for decades to come but eCommerce via a website will fade as easier forms of purchasing become available. Think mobile here.

Imagine being able to point your mobile phone at the bottle of wine you just had for dinner at a restaurant and an app instantly recognizes it and says "Buy Now from ..." and offers you a list of vendors to choose from with their prices and shipping charges to your doorstep. Websites will be here a while longer and may even last another decade or two but their role as the key drivers of ecommerce will surely fade.

[minnapple]

I have been working with independent ecom clients for the last 15 years. Some have been wiped out by the big boxes others are having record sales. It is all about the product offering. Own your brand.

[pbradish]

I have been working with independent ecom clients for the last 15 years. Some have been wiped out by the big boxes others are having record sales. It is all about the product offering. Own your brand.

Couldn't have said it any better :)

[JacobSlim]

Yeah, own your brand and don't forget going to mobile commerce. Just optimize your store for mobile.

[ChristineH]

Yes,agree with Jacob. M-Commerce is getting popular nowadays according to some studies.

[repricer]

M-Commerce is certainly going to overtake online buying from desktop computers, if usage in general is anything to go by, with mobile Internet usage passing desktop usage this year. There are so many options out there in terms of selling online—I think it's going to shake down similarly to offline sales in a way....

You have shopping malls that include small shops selling everyday (price wins) items and bigger brands that sell their own merchandise (eBay stores, Amazon stores). Then you have independent shops both in malls and city centres, with their own niche brand. There's no right or wrong here, so long as you're clear about what your offering is and provided you can make a profit.

[repricer]

I forgot to mention too, I think the really successful sellers are going to be the ones that bridge the gap between online and offline—I am pretty sure Amazon will open up physical stores in the future, just as the big brands take their offerings online in a bigger and better way. No crystal ball here, which is all the more exciting really.

[Essex_boy]

Thats an interesting idea, Amazon stores

[jrockfl]

I think e-commerce will continue to grow. I love shopping on Amazon. I even buy our dog food from there. I can buy a bag of dog food on Amazon cheaper than the feed store. It's shipped to my house and I don't have drive to the feed store or wait in line.

M-Commerce will continue to grow too. I use both my desktop and iPhone to make purchases. I do have a mobile version of our web site too.

If a customer calls and has an issue with checkout, I also ask if they are on a computer or phone.

I think we will see less malls and and box stores in the future.