eCommerce: Customer Journey

Consumer Shopping Journey: Key Insights

• eCommerce Market Growth: The global online retail market share is currently 16.6%, with a projection to rise to 20.6% by 2026, despite a slight dip in previous years.

• Regional Differences: In major economies like the U.S. and China, the online retail market share is already over 20%, expected to hit 30%s in a few years.

• Online-Offline Shopping Integration: A significant number of shoppers (83%) sometimes research online before visiting physical stores, and 72% occasionally use their smartphones for in-store research, highlighting a blend of online and offline shopping experiences.

• Digital Beginning of Shopping Journeys: Most shopping journeys start online, with 44% beginning with an internet search and 41% starting at online stores. Physical stores are still relevant but are now comparable in popularity to other digital channels.

As per Statista data, eCommerce online share of the total retail market currently stands at 16.6%. Despite 2022's dip (16.6%) after the peak reached in 2021 (16.8%), the future in this regard seems optimistic. By 2026, eCommerce online share of the total retail market is expected to reach one fifth (20.6%).

In major economies such as the U.S. and China, the share of online retail is already over 20%, steadily progressing towards 30% and over in the coming years. Concurrently, global eCommerce penetration rates and the frequency of online shopping are on the rise. The nature of shopping is increasingly becoming interdisciplinary, aligning more seamlessly with people's hectic schedules and lifestyles.

Increasing Importance of Online Channels in Shopping Journeys

The combination of offline and online services is typical for an average customer journey of a 2023 shopper. According to Klarna’s Shopping Pulse report, 83% of shoppers who go to a physical store have at least sometimes done some research on the internet before.

Even when they are physically in the store, the majority of shoppers browse the internet to search for comparable offers or to check product reviews – 72% of shoppers state that they use their smartphone in a store for this kind of research at least sometimes. Klarna’s Shopping Pulse insights also reveal where a usual shopping journey starts in 2023:

According to the Klarna analysis, not only the actual checkout, but also earlier steps in the customer journey become more and more digital: Most shopping journeys – no matter if the purchase is concluded online or offline in the end – start at an online touchpoint. With 44%, most customer journeys start with an internet search via Google or another search engine. Online stores are in rank 2, with 41% of retail customer journeys starting there.

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The only relevant offline channel in this comparison is physical stores, with just above one third of customers starting their shopping journey there. This makes physical stores roughly as popular as a first touchpoint than browsing through apps and websites other than search engines or online stores. Around one in four shopping journeys starts on a price comparison website. The other options in the list include conversation with peers and physical magazines/publications.

Among the countries analyzed by Klarna, Belgium, France, and Spain stand out, as a larger portion of consumers in these countries begin their shopping journeys in physical stores compared to online stores, as well as search engines.

Source: Klarna Insights, Statista, ECDB