A Quick Look at 2021 Retail and E-Commerce Trends

As e-commerce has developed, countless brands are being born and disappearing every day online as well. In today’s oversaturated market, only brands that quickly read and reflect trends survive. Learn about Packative’s own research into 2021 retail and e-commerce trends, and apply them to your brand operations and products to move one step closer to business success!

If you’re planning packaging production, this is a must-read: The Basics of Product Packaging Box Design – Even Design Beginners Can Do It!

Table of Contents

• Social commerce
• Sustainable consumption and the importance of brand image
• Micro brands
• The growth of subscription services

Social commerce

Thanks to the rapid development of wireless internet, numerous distribution channels have emerged. In the past, the traditional model was for products to move from factory to intermediaries and finally reach customers at retail stores, but today vertical commerce—where products are shipped directly from manufacturers to consumers without passing through offline retail channels via social media—is gaining momentum. Delivering clothing sourced directly from factories straight to customers, or selling handmade accessories, candles, or pet treats close to customers through social platforms, is also part of social commerce. If you manage Instagram or Facebook well, you can create a friendly image for customers, and those who feel close to and trust your brand will buy the same product through you.

If you’d like to create packaging similar to SnackFever, check out Packative’s mailer box! Take a look at Packative’s packaging boxes.

Source: bonbonchocolate / Korean snack subscription box SnackFever. Source: @react.to.joy

Instagram, in particular, has been greatly expanding and promoting its shopping features. If you see a product you like in a photo on Instagram, you can easily check the price through a tag and move directly to a link where you can purchase the product and have it delivered, further boosting social shopping features.

If you’re working on packaging design, 참고: Unboxing – A Surprisingly New Marketing Trend for This Era!

Sustainable consumption and the importance of brand image

One of the biggest buzzwords lately has been sustainable consumption, or “good consumption.” Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment, and they do not mind spending a bit more on brands or products that offer more eco-friendly choices. They also connect with the values that a brand and its founder prioritize through the brand’s image, building trust along the way. Loyal customers who have a high level of trust in a brand are more likely to repurchase after one purchase, and they are also more likely to become repeat customers who regularly visit your website and buy products.

Source: we love / Source: Samsung / A toothbrush made from bamboo comes in a paper tube. Source: TheSwitchFix / An example of a 100% recyclable paper bottle. Seeds are inside. After using the product, you can immediately grow a plant. Source: L`Oreal, Ecologic Brands

Micro brands

This may be an unfamiliar term, but micro brands are actually very close to our everyday lives. They are the online brands we encounter on Instagram and elsewhere every day. They handle everything themselves—from design and planning to manufacturing—and manage the full distribution flow of their products, with a stronger focus on the online market than the offline one.

Micro brands produce well-designed products and deliver them directly to customers, maintaining a D2C (Direct to Consumer) business model. Thanks to the growth of social media, using Instagram and similar platforms can effectively reduce marketing costs, and starting a business has become much easier than before.

This creates an opportunity to focus on a small number of target customers and offers the advantage of not having to rely on a single popular product that appeals to the masses in an already saturated market. In other words, micro branding makes it easy to execute a long-tail strategy that starts with low costs in a niche market. Another major advantage is that there are no listing fees required for various distribution channels.

If you’re interested in micro brands, be sure to read Top 7 Subscription Services Worth Watching These Days closely!

The growth of subscription services

The proliferation of shopping platforms has increased consumer fatigue. Even if you regularly buy a certain product category, the number of possible places to buy it is so large that you have to go through the search-and-purchase process every time. The business model that has stepped into this gap is the subscription service.

If you’re working on packaging design, 참고: Subscription Services: An Excellent Customer-Centric Business Opportunity

Subscription businesses provide opportunities for emerging brands to promote themselves to diverse stakeholders, while giving customers access to interesting products at affordable prices. They also generate recurring monthly revenue, helping stabilize the business. Rather than receiving an unexpected product, customers have high expectations relative to the price they pay, so it is crucial to deliver value that will not disappoint them. Once customers have a disappointing experience, they cancel their subscription and are unlikely to return.

Packative’s mailer box is a great fit for subscription boxes. Use the free editor to create your first package design!

Source: Bacon Box / Source: Bacon Box / Source: Bacon Box / Source: Mihasocks / Source: Order Gray / Source: Wisely

Thanks to the growth of the pet and senior industries, numerous new services and market possibilities are emerging, and subscription businesses are expected to continue growing steadily in many directions. If you have a niche market in mind, try starting your own subscription box business. You can find out how to research target consumers and build a subscription box in the article below.

If you’re working on packaging design, 참고: How to Start a Subscription Box Business (Part 1) + Part 2