TGM Global
E-Commerce Survey

In 2022, online shopping was more accessible than ever before. In fact, 73% of respondents globally said they have done at least one online purchase every month during the last 12 months. This flexibility benefits all kinds of users and encourages more consumers to do their online shopping via smartphones (75%).
The industry that appears to primary beneficiary of E-commerce is fashion and apparel. In all surveyed countries, clothing and accessories are the most often purchased goods across all age groups (62%). Food also became a popular category in e-commerce, although it has traditionally been more challenging for e-commerce companies to break into compared to other categories such as fashion and electronics. This is because food is a perishable product that requires special handling and transportation. However, online grocery delivery and pickup services, as well as meal kit delivery services, have become more popular in many markets during the pandemic as people look for ways to get groceries and meals while minimizing exposure to the virus.
Smart shopping pattern tends to be more common. Consumers nowadays are motivated by direct savings more than ever, they don’t want to miss out on any chance to save money. They prefer to get a direct price discount than get free shipping or additional gifts. Also, when shopping online consumers prefer to pay for their online shopping with credit cards (27%) to get more advantages such as points, cashback, or additional buyer protection.
There are many strong brands in e-commerce, and their success can be attributed to various factors such as the quality and uniqueness of their products, their reputation and brand recognition, the effectiveness of their marketing and advertising efforts, and the overall customer experience they provide. Some examples of well-known and successful e-commerce brands include Amazon, which is one of the largest and most successful e-commerce companies in the world; in our, study Amazon is considered the strongest eCommerce brand worldwide.

In the past, customers had to visit brick-and-mortar stores to satisfy their shopping needs. This process took time, and it sometimes entailed time-consuming travel. The emergence of e-Commerce has significantly increased the convenience of shopping and transformed the way how people make purchases. The overall frequency of online purchases has been increasing in recent years as more and more people have become comfortable with shopping online and as the availability and convenience of online shopping options have increased. In our Global E-commerce study, 73% of respondents said they have done at least one online purchase every month for the past 12 months.
Particularly, people from all age groups and genders shopped online 2-3 times per month. 18% of people in the 25-to-34 age group made an online purchase every week, whereas most people in the 55-to-64 age group only did that once per month (23%).

While physical stores are restricted to their surrounding vicinity, e-commerce businesses know no boundaries. All one needs is a gadget with an Internet connection to shop wherever and whenever they want.
The most popular device for making online purchases tends to vary depending on the specific market and the preferences of the segment \ individual consumer. However, smartphones are generally the most popular devices for making online purchases. In total, 75% of Internet purchases are made via phones, making them the most popular tool of choice.

E-commerce has transformed the way that people shop in a number of ways. By comparing features, costs, and benefits, customers may use the internet to investigate items and decide whether they are actually worth the investment. E-commerce has also made shopping more convenient by allowing people to shop from anywhere with an internet connection and at any time, rather than being limited to traditional store hours.
The industry that appears to benefit the most from the growth of the E-commerce channel is fashion and apparel. In all surveyed countries, clothing and accessories are the most-purchased goods across all age groups. It is not only the female domain, both men and women claimed to make online purchases in this category most. For other categories, gender preferences reflect the overall shopping patterns for categories. The percentage of respondents who purchased electronics online was significantly higher for males (51%) than for women (29%). Meanwhile, women purchased more beauty and personal care products online, accounting for 54% and 51%, respectively.
What is noticeable, is the frequency of food and grocery: 40% of respondents worldwide claimed that they tend to make their food purchases online. While this category has traditionally been more challenging for e-commerce companies to crack, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in online food and grocery shopping, and it is likely to continue to be a popular category in e-commerce.

Smart shopping used to be particularly popular among price-sensitive consumers who were looking for the best deals and want to make sure they are getting the most value for their money. Nowadays this pattern became more common. Searching for bargains \ best deals became popular amongst multiple consumer segments - 49% of surveyed people worldwide claim that % off discounts are the most appealing type of promotion when shopping online or offline. This is why big sales during the year are considered the right time for ‘appropriate spending’.
Along with financial promotions, non-financial benefits such as free shipping are also quite popular in APAC (36%), the N. America (39%) and LATAM (36%) regions prefer gift with purchase.
This also proves that price is the most important factor that determines where and when they shop. Based on our global study, 58% of those who were surveyed believe ‘price’ is the most critical element when shopping online, followed by the free shipping at 57%.

The most popular methods of payment in e-commerce vary depending on the specific market and the preferences of the particular consumer segment. It also differs regionally - however, it is not a surprise that many consumers prefer to pay for their online shopping with credit card (27%). In certain situations, credit cards can present more advantages such as points, cash back, or layer of buyer protection compared to other payment options.
Different regions have different preferences for online payment methods. For most (except APAC), credit card is the preferred mode of payment when shopping online with the highest percentage in N. America at 41%.
While non-cash payments are on the rise, there are certain regions in the world (specifically APAC (28%) and MENA (22%) that still prefer to use cash payments (COD - 'cash-on-delivery'). This is common in developing countries and mostly due to cultural preferences than avalaibility of other methods.

E-commerce has also led to the development of new business models and has led to the raise of many successful brands. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the e-commerce industry, and many e-commerce brands have seen significant growth as a result.
However, businesses have been constantly attempting to stay relevant since the pandemic settled.
Online stores, particularly e-commerce sites, were the most popular shopping channel throughout the pandemic. Amazon (40%) is regarded by many as the most notable brand for shopping online and also the most famous when compared to other brands followed by Shopee, eBay, and Mercado Libre.