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~ eShopWorld ~
DIGITAL NATIVES
DRIVING
CROSS-BORDER
SHOPPING
Text: Sanne Leenders // Photos: AdobeStock
Retailers and brands looking to grow their cross-border business should take heed of our
latest research, and consider how well they are segmenting their customers, says Tommy
Kelly, CEO of eShopWorld (ESW).
ore and more people are shopping on- respondents who had spent more than £500 on cross-
line outside of their home country, but border e-commerce purchases in the past year.
Myounger, digitally native consumers aged Brands also need to take into account the youngest
25–34 are leading the way. Our Global Voices 2021: shoppers, Gen Z (aged 18-24), who are most likely to buy
Cross-Border Shopper Insights study found that directly from them, rather than from marketplaces. Some
nearly 70% of global consumers across 11 countries 29% of this group has shopped cross-border directly from
shopped cross-border in 2020, but younger, digitally brands versus 23% of millennials and 23% of Gen Xers.
native consumers made 10 or more e-commerce
purchases outside of their home country. Paying via credit or debit card remains popular, but flexible
payment options are gaining traction. Some 72% of
This digital generation has been spurred on by brands respondents used a credit or debit card to complete their
and retailers that were already making it easy to shop by cross-border transactions, while younger consumers are
offering the convenience of services such as click and more frequently taking advantage of buy now, pay later
collect, return to store, and guaranteed delivery date. Now, options, with roughly 10% of respondents aged 18–24
with COVID-19 having more or less cut the store route and 11% of those ages 25–34 saying they have used these
off, these consumers are looking further afield and finding flexible payments to shop from international merchants.
plenty of brands happy to accommodate them wherever
they live. Offering a localised online shopping experience is key to a
successful cross-border e-commerce experience. Consumers
Not only are these brands finding that consumers are said being able to shop on a site in their local language
buying from more suppliers than ever, but they are also (34%) and local currency (34%) and seeing all charges, taxes
exploring new product categories, so they need to keep pace and duties clearly displayed (33%) were the most important
with demand that grew 82% last year and shows no signs of factors contributing to their decision to make a purchase.
slowing.
While cross-border commerce is up and almost certain to
Looking at the figures, younger cross-border shoppers remain high after stores reopen, it is also going to get more
favour clothing and accessories (30%), toys (19%), and competitive, so a deeper understanding of where the money
health and beauty (19%). Millennials, however, are the is coming from will pay dividends through any future
highest spenders, accounting for nearly half (47%) of promotional activity. ••
FULL REPORT ALONG WITH INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY REPORTS CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTPS://WWW.ESHOPWORLD.COM/GLOBALVOICES2021
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