MENUMENU
  • Services
    • Services
      • Search Engine Optimization
      • International Search Marketing
      • Local Search Marketing
      • Pay Per Click Advertising
      • Social Media Marketing
      • Email Marketing
      • Conversion Rate Optimization
      • Public Relations
      • Website Design & Development
      • Reporting & Analytics
      • Amazon Marketing Services
      • Digital Marketing Strategy
      • Franchise Marketing
  • Case Studies
  • About Us
    • About Ignite Visibility
      • Our Story
      • Clients
      • Our Values
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Our Team
      • UCSD Extension Courses
      • Careers
  • Thought Leadership
      • Our Blog
      • Podcast
      • SEO: The Movie
      • Social Media Marketing: The Movie
      • Book: The Forecaster Method
      • Attend Our Next Digital Marketing Event
  • Contact
  • 619.752.1955
Home / Industry News / E-Commerce 2020 Report: April & May Outpaced Last Year’s Holiday Shopping

E-Commerce 2020 Report: April & May Outpaced Last Year’s Holiday Shopping

June 16, 2020 By John E Lincoln

It’s a good time to run a business online.

According to Adobe’s latest Digital Economy Index report, eCommerce shopping in April and May exceeded 2019 holiday activity by 7%.

In fact, online sales posted a $52 billion gain from the same period a year ago.

2020 Ecommerce Report: Sales Top 2019 Holiday Revenues

Going Cyber Amidst COVID-19

The recent COVID-19 pandemic shut down brick-and-mortar shops. That’s led many SMBs to change their business models and move to the online space.

Well, that plus the fact that Amazon is offering them up to $1 million in lines of credit. The company is doing that with the help of its financial partner, Goldman Sachs.

And that’s not the only partnership that’s wooing business leaders to the Internet. Walmart recently joined forces with Shopify to give SMB sellers access to the 120 million consumers who shop on Walmart.com every month.

Walmart expects to add 1,200 Shopify sellers this year.

Other online marketplaces, such as eBay, Google Shopping, Facebook Marketplace, and Etsy also offer attractive platforms for businesses that want to sell products in cyberspace.

Growing Market Share

Before the pandemic, ecommerce in the U.S. accounted for somewhere between 12% and 16% of all retail spending. Unsurprisingly, that percentage grew during the lockdowns.

Consumers still need to buy products even if they can’t go to the store.

Some people think that during the upcoming holiday season, digital commerce will account for as much as 20% of all retail spend.

That’s because five months from now plenty of at-risk folks will choose to do their shopping online rather than roll the dice with a virus going around during the cold and flu season.

Also, some lockdown guidelines will still be in force.

Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) Flattening

At the height of the pandemic, some consumers opted for a hybrid approach to shopping. They ordered products online and picked them up in the store.

BOPIS trends in ecommerce from Adobe Analytics

Industry analysts call that BOPIS. It stands for “buy online, pickup in store.” According to Adobe, 23% of online consumers prefer BOPIS.

In April, year-over-year BOPIS grew at a whopping 200%. In May, BOPIS growth stood at 195%, and we can see it is on a decline in the Adobe Analytics 2020 ecommerce report.

As local governments ease lockdown restrictions, you can expect BOPIS growth to decline even further.

Fierce Competition

Another interesting stat from the May digital sales data: Walmart ecommerce revenue topped eBay for the first time ever, according to the eMarketer 2020 Ecommerce Report.

Top 10 retail ecommerce sales by company

Typically, eBay stands at #2 in the online shopping space behind you-know-who. Now Walmart is taking market share.

There’s little doubt that we’re entering a phase of cutthroat competition in ecommerce. Giants like Walmart and Amazon stand to do well because they can afford the investments in optimization and operations.

Here are the 2020 ecommerce sales figures by company:

  • Amazon ($269 billion)
  • Walmart ($41 billion)
  • eBay ($31 billion)
  • Apple ($24 billion)
  • Home Depot ($13 billion)
  • Best Buy ($10 billion)
  • Target ($10 billion)
  • Costco ($9 billion)
  • Wayfair ($9 billion)
  • Macy’s ($6 billion)

Shoppers Going Mobile

Another eye-opening stat from Adobe: smartphone sales accounted for nearly 40% of all ecommerce spend during May.

Even more surprisingly, the 2020 ecommerce report says that people who shopped online for the first time did so from their smartphones.

Think about it. Those folks won’t even need to “make the transition” from shopping on a desktop to shopping with a smartphone. They’ll go straight to mobile shopping by default.

This is further confirmation that mobile is everything.

Wrapping It Up

If you’re running a traditional brick-and-mortar establishment, then you almost certainly took a hit during the pandemic. Use that as a learning experience to think about how you can move to an online model.

You might opt to support BOPIS. Or you might just package and ship your goods to people who order online.

Sit down with your advisors and discuss your options. Then, make the necessary investments so you can stay in business when people want to shop from home.

About John E Lincoln

John Lincoln (MBA) is CEO of Ignite Visibility (a 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Inc. 5000 company) a highly sought-after digital marketing strategist, industry speaker and author of two books, "The Forecaster Method" and "Digital Influencer." Over the course of his career, Lincoln has worked with over 1,000 online businesses ranging from small startups to amazing clients such as Office Depot, Tony Robbins, Morgan Stanley, Fox, USA Today, COX and The Knot World Wide. John Lincoln is the editor of the Ignite Visibility blog. While he is a contributor, he does not write all of the articles and in many cases he is supported to ensure timely content.

You may also like:


  • Breaking Digital Marketing News (Updated Every Friday)

  • Christine Hsu Evans, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Headspace…

  • Clutch Highlights Ignite Visibility As a Top SEO Company for…
  • Tim Ellis Marketer of the Week
    Tim Ellis, Chief Marketing Officer for the National Football League…

Search Here

NEWSLETTER // SIGN UP NOW

About The Editor

John E Lincoln, CEO

John Lincoln is CEO of Ignite Visibility, one of the top digital marketing agencies in the nation and a 6x Inc. 5,000 company. Lincoln is consistently named one of the top marketing experts in the industry. He has been recipient of the Search Engine Land "Search Marketer of the Year" award, named the #1 SEO consultant in the USA by Clutch.co, most admired CEO and 40 under 40. Lincoln has written two books (The Forecaster Method and Digital Influencer) and made two movies (SEO: The Movie and Social Media Marketing: The Movie) on digital marketing. He is a digital marketing strategy adviser to some of the biggest names in business. John Lincoln is the editor of the Ignite Visibility blog. While he is a major contributor, he does not write all of the articles.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHN

Contact Us. Let’s Chat!

  • Hidden

Marketing Guides

SEO In 2020: How To Prepare For Major Disruption

"SEO: The Movie" - Have You Seen Our Film? Watch Now

"Social Media Marketing: The Movie" - Have You Seen Our Film? Watch Now

Amazon Seller Central vs Vendor Central

Listen To The Podcast Featuring The Best Minds In Marketing

John Lincoln Interviews Global Director of Digital Marketing & Strategy at Qualcomm, Jessica Jensen

Check Out 227 Free Online Marketing Classes

The 2020 Guide To Dominating SEO With Advanced Schema

Learn More About Our Digital Marketing Agency

Learn More About Our SEO Services

Learn More About Our Paid Media Services

SELECT CATEGORY

Become A Contributor

Interested in writing for Ignite Visibility?

APPLY NOW

Services

  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Pay Per Click Management
  • Conversion Rate Optimization
  • Website Design & Development
  • Social Media Company
  • Public Relations
  • Amazon Marketing Services
  • Franchise Marketing
  • International Services
  • Digital Marketing Agency Services

About

  • Our Team
  • Our Values
  • Clients
  • Reviews
  • UCSD Extension Courses
  • Careers
  • Tools & Resources
  • Sitemap

Contact

4250 Executive Square, Suite 100
La Jolla, California 92037

619.752.1955

Join The Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest from Ignite Visibility.

google parther logo

©2022 Ignite Visibility. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy