Be ready for retail’s next wave with this insights-packed guide.
The industry is flooded with lengthy white papers, endless research documents, and massive guides on the future of retail. To cut through the noise, here’s a quick view of purchasing trends that will drive business in 2021 and beyond, backed by first-party insights and third-party field studies.
Because people come to Google at decision-making moments along their shopping journeys, retailers often ask us what trends are shaping the future. We don’t always have the perfect answer, but we do know there’s no going back to how things were before.
There isn’t a world where people revert back to their 2019 [behaviours], and part of that is just a comfort level.
Dynamic demand. People’s buying patterns will continue to change as they react to unpredictability
From the start of the pandemic up to now, we’ve seen continual interest spikes in categories relating to the current societal context, including everything from joggers to toilet paper.
People have new needs. Every day, 15% of the search queries we see on Google are ones we’ve never seen before.1
And their searches reflect more time spent at home. “Milk delivery” grew 800% YOY globally at the start of the pandemic.2
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Digital inspiration. People will continue to look for ideas and shopping inspiration online
More than ever, consumers are searching for ideas, inspiration, and information on what products or services to buy as they browse the web. Searches for “ideas” have surged on Google.3
Spending more time at home, people have grown more comfortable with online browsing and shopping, and are hungry for inspiration. Searches for “simple” plus “ideas” have also grown globally 200% YOY.5
Counting on convenience. People will continue to shop in new ways, with a focus on convenience
Consumers want to know what they can expect before heading into stores, especially around inventory and business hours. We’ve also seen people take more of their shopping to Google Maps, with spikes in searches for “available near me” and “curbside pickup” happening directly in Maps.7
Searches for “available near me” have grown 100% in the past year globally.9 And searches for “shopping” plus “app(s)” have grown 210% YOY.10
From purchasing products through mobile apps to buying online and picking up in store, they say they plan to continue engaging in these methods.12
Supportive spending. People will continue to be more discerning about how and where they spend their money
We see this represented in our own search data. With less spending overall, consumers are going out of their way to shop smart.
The notions of “value” and “values” will continue to converge. Increasingly, a product’s perceived value will be less about its price point and more about its alignment with a buyer’s values.
Whether someone is choosing to buy an electric car to do her part for the environment or directing her [£5] to a Black-owned coffee shop, consumers will more actively shop their values.”
Consumers are continually looking for the best deals. They’re also seeking ways to shop purposefully. Searches for “best affordable” have grown globally by over 60% YOY.14
From product queries to purchase patterns, these trends reveal the breadth of shopping journeys happening across Google.
Google Ads Marketing, Retail & Shopping
Designer: Kelly Sullan; Editor: Zharmer Hardimon; Story: Andrew Pagonis; Product Lead: Casey Fictum; Production Lead: Jenny Maughan.
Sarah Bradley contributed research to this story.