The Top 10 Fastest Growing eCommerce Categories
It’s not surprising that the fastest growing category of online purchases in the United States is food and beverages. If during the COVID-19 pandemic you tried to order your groceries online but couldn’t get a delivery slot you felt the pain of this fast-growing category.
Food and beverage purchases are growing quickly not only because of the pandemic but also because this category has the lowest eCommerce penetration rate. Historically consumers have liked seeing and touching grocery items like produce before buying them, making consumers reluctant to buying food online. But the pandemic has boosted online shopping for groceries and the shift towards buying more groceries online is likely to stay long after the pandemic is over since after trying online grocery shopping many consumers like the experience.
Another fast-growing category is health, personal care and beauty. As with any life-threatening situation it makes people pause and take stock of their life. In China, purchases of vitamins, minerals and supplements quickly spiked after the onset of the pandemic. Now that consumers are more aware of their mortality it is likely they will continue to be more health conscious in the future.
For example, 52% of Chinese consumers surveyed said they will look for foods or medicines that will strengthen their health and boost their immunity. It is also expected that there will be a demand for more clean products. This is a movement that has been going on for some time. For example, Sephora launched Clean at Sephora in 2018, an initiative aimed at selling products that are free of toxic ingredients.
Speaking about changes in consumer behaviour post SARS, Ryan Zhou, Vice President, Consumer Packaged Goods, Nielsen China, said “health and hygiene is a natural habit shift post epidemic, and we observed a continuous boom in this area after SARS. Now is a key time for brands to consider upgrading for health and hygiene concepts”
Coming in third is online sales of toys and hobby related merchandise. As parents struggle to keep their children entertained while they spend more time at home sales of items like puzzles, games and finger paints have experienced significant gains.
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