2018: The Year When Ecommerce Became The Commerce

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2018 The Year When Ecommerce Became The Commerce
From the internets first creation, it was
clear that it was going to change almost
every part of normal life. One of the
important human activities that has been
affected the greatest is how we buy and sell.
Ecommerce, the buying and selling of goods
or services using the internet, has swiftly
become just as, if not more, popular and
powerful than high street retail. Non-food sales
online rose by 7.5 in the past year and it is
predicted to increase by even more this
year. There are many different reasons for
this, most of which are very logical and
understandable.
Ecommerces Spectacular Rise
Arguably the most influential way in which
internet retailing appeals to human nature is
the ease in which it can be done. If there
is a digital device with an internet
connection available, then Ecommerce can
always happen. This convivence gives online
retail an upper hand over the high street
because it plays to most peoples natural
laziness (dont lie to yourself).
Instead of having to trek all the way into
and all around a city centre or shopping
centre to scout out a new purchase,
consumers can complete a whole shopping
trip from their own home. Instead of having
to physically travel to a shop, a store
can be visited by typing in its name into
google. This is one of the major reasons
why almost 80 of the UK s population shopped
online in 2018.
There is also a lot of money to be saved in
internet retailing, for both the businesses and
customers. A high street store can be a
very expensive investment. Rent, shop staff
wages and security can all add up to
prove quite damaging in terms of profit.
These costs can be almost completely cut by
eliminating the need for a physical shop
and turning completely Ecommerce.
As retailers costs are cut, the products
they sell can afford to be sold cheaper.
This another major factor in why so many
consumers turn to the internet when doing
their shopping. They feel like theyre more
likely to find a bargain, which for most
parts is true. Not only are many products
they see are going to be cheaper than
high street prices, it will be easier to find
exactly what they are looking for by making
their searches very specific (i.e. cheap Nike
air max).
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After taking all of this into account, it is
not difficult to see why multichannel Ecommerce
has become the powerful and influential
market it is today. The instant accessibility
and efficiency it provides for both business
and consumer makes it irresistible for
most. However, all of this progress made by the
online retail community is unfortunately at the
expense of the high street.
The Effect On Offline Retail
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Ever since the internet started to really
take off, the high street has been slowly,
but surely, dying right in front of our
eyes. This is no coincidence the internet
is strangling many stores with its
irrepressible advantages. For example,
clothing spending declined by 2.9, the biggest
fall since October 2017
I first noticed it with the closure of
Blockbuster when I was only a teenager. For
years it had been immensely popular, with a
loyal customer base who would visit the
store to rent videos regularly. Even when
the internet first started having its major
influence Blockbuster seemed like it was
still going strong. Then came online
streaming. With Netflix at the forefront,
the internets inevitable dominance started
to be implemented. With almost all film and TV
on steaming platforms, the demise of video rental
stores was swift. This is a trend that has
continued to this very day, high-street
stores suffering from Ecommerces easiness and
accessibility.
From clothes stores like Topshop are
suffering from online clothing retailers
such as Asos, to record stores such as
HMV suffering from music streaming sites
such as Spotify, wherever there is an online
option, the high street option becomes second
best. This means that peoples jobs are
being sacrificed to this new forward
thinking marketplace. In the first 8 months
of 2018, 85,000 people lost their jobs as
a result of the large number of high street
businesses going bust.
Theres Still Hope For The High Street
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Although it may be mostly be a hard struggle
for the high street, and more than likely
it will worsen before improves, there
is still some hope. This is because
as long as shopping is seen as a hobby or
leisure activity rather than just always a
chore, the high street will always, maybe not
thrive, but survive.
For many, travelling into the city centre
or to a shopping centre can be a fun day
out with friends or family. Therefore, as far
as I can see, society will never depend solely on
buying and selling through the internet.
Furthermore, there are types of shops that
the internet cannot replace, no matter how
advanced technology gets.
Two great examples of this would be
restaurants and salons. These are two types
of business whose customer are in it for
the quality and experience not the easiness
and quickness. Therefore, the internet
will never, in my time at least, take
away the need for going out and carefully
sourcing the best experience available.
Although it isnt in danger of becoming
completely extinct, if these trends continue,
it is predicted that by 2030 that almost half
of all UK stores will have closed. Even
recently, major companies like Marks
Spencers announced it was shutting 100
stores, while House of Fraser had to be
rescued by tycoon Mike Ashley after going
bankrupt. With giant brands like these being
damaged so badly by internet retail, it seems
as if no ones safe.
Despite all this apparent doom and gloom,
it is all in the best interest of
commercial advancement and breakthrough.
After all, you cannot halt progress.
Those who are pushed aside by Ecommerces
rise will in turn benefit from it in some
shape of form. Whether it is making
everyday tasks doable in a matter of minutes
or ensuring that the most value for money is
achieved, Ecommerce has, and will continue
to, proved that its here to stay. And
rightfully so.
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