New research from Adobe into the online shopping habits of UK consumers between March and June found that online marketplaces, such as Amazon, were four-times more popular than retailers’ own websites and apps, demonstrating the appeal of quick, convenient, one-stop shopping experiences to customers online as well as offline. The research found that since March, 69% of Brits regularly shopped online, and that more than half of them (57%) made a purchase from an online marketplace, compared with just 13% who bought directly from retailers’ websites. This suggests that even with more time on their hands and restrictions to shopping in-store, consumers were drawn to the broad product ranges, robust delivery infrastructure and limited steps between logging-on and checking-out that characterise marketplaces.

Additionally, between March and June, the average online shopper made 11 purchases from an online marketplace, and just three from an online retailer.

Commenting on the findings, Peter Bell, Marketing Director, EMEA, at Adobe, said: “Many brands and retailers already deliver great digital experiences, but to break the dominance of the marketplaces and attract customers to their sites and apps, they need to capture their attention in ways that marketplaces can’t. That could be through hosting exclusive content, giving early access to sales or specific products, or even offering subscription or membership options that make the shopping experience even more convenient and seamless.

Peter Bell, Marketing Director for EMEA at Adobe joins e on The Tech Talks Daily podcast. Peter has over 25 years of experience in marketing and retail, contributing to the success of a portfolio of brands from Microsoft and MSN to Xbox and Windows.

We discuss how businesses have adapted to this widespread adoption and evolution of digitisation, pushed into a few months as a result of Covid-19, alongside Adobe’s latest insights around shopping trends throughout the pandemic. Peter also talks about how retail is set to evolve as a result of Covid-19 and how the pandemic will likely impact high street retailers along with the technologies they may adopt moving forward. I learn more about what steps retailers need to take to remain on the cutting edge of the customer experience.