A recent survey of consumer eCommerce and marketplace preferences, The 2022 State of Online Marketplace Adoption, confirmed what we have been seeing for the past couple of years – a major shift in consumer behavior to online marketplace shopping. The study reports that a whopping 65% of US consumers prefer buying from online marketplaces!
Mirakl Survey Findings
The survey, which followed the shopping habits of 9,000 consumers, made some important revelations for the marketplace economy. The findings show the response to consumer expectations in the eCommerce world in a positive light. With 70% of those surveyed reporting that online marketplaces are the most convenient way to shop, it’s clear that marketplaces have risen to the challenges of quick delivery, lower prices, and high product quality.
According to Co-founder and Co-CEO of Mirakl, Adrien Nussenbaum:
“The survey results clearly indicate that consumers want more of their favorite retailers to launch online marketplaces with third-party sellers. In today’s ‘always-on’ retail economy, shoppers prize the competitive prices, increased variety, and faster shipping times that only online marketplaces can deliver. Moreover, this preference is strongest among retailers’ most valuable shoppers.”
A Permanent Shift Toward Marketplaces
The research proved that this recent shift in favor of marketplaces is definitely not temporary. Since the beginning of the pandemic, marketplace shopping has significantly increased and shows no signs of slowing down. And looking toward the future, it is expected that 92% of US consumers will be using marketplaces as their eCommerce shopping preferences.
Advantages of Marketplaces
According to the survey, consumers prefer marketplaces because they are better able to meet their needs compared to conventional eCommerce sites offering single retailer products. The convenience factor alone attracts 71% of US shoppers.
Marketplaces have also proven to have higher trust according to many “power shoppers” – those who shop online more than once a week. The combination of convenience + trust is a compelling factor for consumers.
Another advantage of marketplace shopping is fast delivery. A high percentage of US consumers (88%) expect their purchases to arrive in 3-5 days or less. And with marketplaces delivering those expectations, their ratings just keep going up.
3 Ways to Start Winning Consumers, TODAY
- Be where consumers are – This sounds obvious, but if you’re not currently selling on a marketplace, you should be! Marketplaces are where the consumers are, and if you take anything away from the Mirakl survey – it should be this!
- Give your customers what they want – The survey pointed out crucial points to include in your customer service operation. Consumers want quick delivery, trustworthy brands, convenience shopping, and high-quality products.
- Be ready to grow – Taking the steps that will allow your business to scale and grow is crucial in today’s eCommerce industry. Take your brand to the next level with one system to manage all your marketplace connections. Cymbio’s brand-to-retail connectivity platform will help you gain access to hundreds of retailers through fully automated marketplace (and drop ship) operations!