eCommerce industry still grew steadily in 2014. The eCommerce sales report from eMarketer shows that it increased 16% in the holiday season of 2014 and up to 72 billion dollars. Also for retail, it boost 3.5% and up to 850 billion dollars. It is expected that eCommerce will keep the growth this year. And in holiday season it is expected that the sales will boost 14.4% as well as 3.2% for retails. Also see 5 Tips to Boost eCommerce Conversion During Holiday Season
The 2014 holiday season saw a big increase in stores offering in-store pickup. It proved popular this holiday season as a way to avoid the crowds during the Thanksgiving weekend. According to Adobe, in-store pickup peaked on Black Friday and the Sunday of Thanksgiving week. Both days experienced in-store pickup 40% above average for the season. In-store pickup also spiked in the days before Christmas, as shoppers not only avoided last-minute crowds, but also expedited delivery charges or expired shipping deadlines.
Based on a 2014 Digital Index Online Shopping report by Adobe, smartphones accounted for 13% of online purchases. This is almost twice as much as last year. Tablets came in at 16% of online sales, up 2% from last year. The smartphone screen is becoming larger, more like a tablet, which means a better user experience.
Of the 202 respondents, findings revealed that two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents prefer to buy their holiday gifts online. Similarly, outside of the holiday season, 62 percent of respondents prefer to shop online.
The convenience of online shopping has led to a major boom in eCommerce. In fact, eCommerce is a $220 billion industry in the U.S. According to AmeriCommerce, online shopping has seen such explosive growth over the last several years that eCommerce growth is now outpacing the growth of brick-and-mortar businesses.
