Do you have a digital store? It's perfect but it's starting to not be enough to satisfy digital consumers. At least that's what they say from Napse, and they warn that Artificial Intelligence to personalize the offer, the gamification of the purchasing processes and formats such as livestreaming ecommerce are some of the strategies that brands are already choosing to attract users in a highly competitive environment.

16% of Argentines bought online for the first time during the pandemic, mainly young people (51% between 18 and 34 years old) and according to Antonio Rivero, commercial director of Napse, ecommerce will continue to grow with users who have new habits and greater demands.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

This technology is already part of the commercial strategy of many brands. Specialists assure that it is far from finding a ceiling and its use is booming, making it one of the trends that will continue to consolidate in 2022.

Consumers become accustomed to receiving personalized offers and find advertisements or promotions that are not of interest to them. The use of AI to personalize promotions and suggestions is becoming increasingly common in ecommerce, establishing a new standard, allowing us to know more about customers to offer them communication according to their interests and adapting the layout of products on the web for each type of consumer.

Live Streaming Ecommerce

Although social commerce is a trend already consolidated locally, live streaming ecommerce takes this format to another level. “Call now” infomercials have evolved into a live online broadcast showcasing products that can be purchased in real time. It is a success in Asia and is expected to soon consolidate in the region. It offers typical advantages of traditional commerce, such as seeing the product more clearly, asking questions and receiving answers instantly from the comfort of your home.

Automation

It seeks to bring digitalization to physical stores, improve the user experience and reduce operating costs. The Self CheckOut trend is growing and is already in some establishments, such as fast food, and although it is not widely used, They predict that it will become increasingly common to pass products over the counter and make payment without a human interlocutor.

Gamification

There are brands that seek to turn the purchasing process into a game and many opportunities at the local level to implement it. For example, improve the consumer experience through a game in which the brand challenges the user in exchange for discounts, free shipping and even a 2×1 promotion on the next purchase. Due to its easy implementation and the benefits it brings, it is expected to be consolidated in 2022.

AR and VR (Augmented or Virtual Reality)

Seeing how a sofa would look in our living room, or trying on a garment virtually with the phone's camera is now possible. There are clothing stores with smart mirrors where we can see how the garment would look without going through the fitting room. They are not yet widely used solutions, due to the development they require and their costs, but it is expected that, as with AI, they will become common in a few years.

All of these trends are about improving the user experience from product research to post-sales. Many seek to integrate in one way or another the benefits of physical and digital stores, a hybrid between online and physical commerce.

According to Rivero, physical stores are not going to disappear but they have to reconvert, use technology and improve the user experience, for example to avoid lines or automate processes such as searching for stock and customer service.