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~ ESW ~
MILLENNIALS DRIVE
CROSS-BORDER
D2C E-COMMERCE
AS PANDEMIC
SHOPPING
HABITS REMAIN
WORLDWIDE
Text: Scott Lindsey // Photos: Shutterstock, ESW
The rise in international direct-to-consumer (D2C) purchases in the last six months has
been led by Millennial demographics, with reduced access to stores during the pandemic
prompting over half (52%) of 25–34-year-olds to buy direct from international online brands,
reveals Martim Avillez Oliveira of ESW (eShopWorld).
ur recent Global Voices: Pre-Peak Pulse shopping category internationally, while luxury purchases
2021 survey of almost 15,000 consumers saw the biggest growth over the past six months (+6%),
Oacross 14 countries showed that overall, followed by skincare and fragrance (+4% respectively). A
52% of global consumers were motivated to buy quarter (25%) of global shoppers bought clothing online
online during the pandemic, rising to 58% on outside of their domestic market, while footwear (19%),
average for 25–44-year-olds, as shuttered stores luxury goods (18%) and health & beauty and skincare
prompted consumers to purchase items online that (17% respectively) also topped the list of the most popular
they normally would have validated and bought in- international e-commerce purchases.
store.
Once again, Millennials and Gen Z shoppers led the way,
Reduced access to stores also boosted cross-border making cross-border purchases at three times the rate of
e-commerce, with almost half (46%) of global shoppers Baby Boomers (those aged 57–75 years old). Outside of
surveyed saying it prompted them to buy directly from an apparel, Millennial and Gen Z demographics bought three
international brand online, rising to 52% among those ages times as many cross-border purchases compared to Baby
25–34. Indian and Chinese (both 61%), Mexican (59%) and Boomers.
Russian (50%) consumers were the most likely to have made
international D2C purchases in the first half of 2021. This boost to cross-border luxury purchases, driven mostly
by younger demographics of shoppers, appears to have been
Fashion remains the most popular cross-border online prompted by new international buying behaviours caused by
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