The 5 trends to follow in 2023

With the development of digital and the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis, consumers are considering new shopping criteria¹: health and safety, customer service, practicality and comfort, credibility and reputation… They also have more specific expectations of brands with 66% of shoppers² wanting them to understand their individual needs.

This means that businesses must implement strategic watch and identify new industry trends. This watch effort is essential to surpass shopper expectations.

Discover the 5 trends to follow in 2023 to remain competitive.

1. Second-hand

The development of digital and the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis have resulted in 70% of shoppers³ being increasingly interested in second-hand products.

Second-hand involves giving a second lease of life to pre-used products in good condition, to limit overconsumption and the carbon footprint. This type of shopping provides numerous benefits (reduced prices, eco-responsibility, access to rare or vintage products…) and encourages shoppers to take more care of the products they buy⁴.

For an eCommerce business, the second-hand trend is a fantastic business opportunity. There are many big name⁵ platforms on the market: Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Etsy… and brands are increasingly developing their own second-hand platforms: Aigle (Second Souffle), Decathlon (Seconde Vie), The Kooples (Second Love)…

2. Subscription commerce

Subscription commerce is a dynamic and constantly evolving market. In the US, subscription commerce sales reached 28 billion dollars⁶ in 2021.

The principal of subscription commerce is that customers automatically receive one or more products from a specific brand on a regular basis (quarterly, monthly, specific periodicity…).

Many businesses are adopting subscription commerce with a « box » type offer which provides numerous advantages⁷ for shoppers (comfort, flexibility, efficiency…) and creates positive emotions among subscribers. When they open a new box, they often get a sense of exclusivity and an element of surprise⁸ as they discover the products selected for them by the brand.

While these offers previously tended to exist solely in the cosmetic industry, they have branched out to other industries⁸: video games, gardening, wine… These subscriptions provide a range of benefits for businesses: regular income, better understanding of customers, increased customer loyalty, engagement…

3. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is booming with spending in this area increasing by 33%⁹.

It involves a brand collaborating with an influencer and building on their notoriety (community of subscribers, authority, specific industry, popularity…) to promote one or several products. In return the influencer receives compensation or a percentage of sales.

This strategy is a response to the changes in shopper behavior. When making purchasing decisions, today's shoppers tend to rely more on recommendations from influencers⁹ than from their friends and family. They also consider influencer content to be more authentic¹⁰ than traditional advertising campaigns.

This is why many brands are adopting influencer marketing strategies: over 90% of brands¹¹ use them and 85%¹¹ consider that influencers provide real added value.

4. Zero-party data

According to Forrester¹² research and advisory company, zero-party data is data that shoppers share with a brand « intentionally and proactively » for a more personalized and engaging¹² experience. There are several different methods for gathering this data: quizzes, surveys, loyalty programs…

A zero-party data¹² strategy enables a brand to establish a sense of trust with shoppers and to provide them with real added value¹² (more relevant interactions, customization, better targeting..). It also improves the quality and reliability of the data gathered as it is transmitted directly by shoppers and therefore less likely to contain errors and/or inconsistencies¹².

5. Social commerce on TikTok

Ecommerce businesses are increasingly drawn towards TikTok. This social network platform inspires shoppers to choose their future purchases and currently has 755 million users¹³ around the world.

TikTok launched « TiTok for Business » which provides brands with several tools to help them get the most from the platform. For example, In-Feed¹⁴ advertising lets them integrate a video in a user's « For you » newsfeed and to insert a redirection link leading to their chosen web page (eCommerce site, mobile application, product page…).

Since the launch of this platform, marketing professionals have continued to increase their investments on this platform: 93% of marketing professionals¹⁵ are using it.

To sum up, businesses must stay tuned into the key market trends: increased interest in second-hand, development of subscription commerce, growing impact of influencers, development of eCommerce sales on TikTok… This watch effort is vital and requires appropriate methods to get it right.

¹ Les valeurs et motivations d'achat des consommateurs connaissent une évolution fondamentale en s'éloignant des critères de prix et de qualité. (2021, October 12). Business Wire.
² What Are Customer Expectations, and How Have They Changed? (2020, October). Salesforce.com.
³ thredUP. (2022, May 17). thredUP Releases 10th Annual Resale Report with Insights on a Decade of Resale. thredUP Newsroom.
⁴ Nation, E. (2022, October 24). Pourquoi profiter de la seconde main ? ECN | E-Commerce Nation.
⁵ Leuenberger, M. (2022, May 15). Les 5 meilleurs sites pour vendre des objets en ligne. Shopify.
⁶ Statista. (2021, September 6). Subscription e-commerce sales in the U.S. 2019-2023.
⁷ Helal, B. B. (2019, May 22). E-commerce Box Et Abonnement : Quelle Stratégie De Confiance Pour Acquérir Et Fidéliser Les Clients ? Forbes France.
⁸ Nation, E. (2018, February 28). Pourquoi et comment se développer sur le marché de la box par abonnement ? ECN | E-Commerce Nation.
⁹ Stanley, H. (2022, December 6). Online Shopping: The Trends And Consumer Expectations That Will Shape Ecommerce. Shopify Plus.
¹⁰ Comarketing-News. (2022, June 13). Social commerce et marketing d'influence : enfin réunis ?
¹¹ Grosset, D. (2022, March 11). Influence marketing et e-commerce : un tandem de choc. journaldunet.com.
¹² YEC COUNCIL POST. (2022, May 14). Zero-Party Data Is The New Oil. journaldunet.com.
¹³ Statista, & Ceci, L. (2022, September 5). TikTok: number of global users 2020-2025.
¹⁴ Gué, V. (2022, November 23). TikTok Ads : comment faire de la pub sur TikTok ? blog.hubspot.fr.
¹⁵ Nation, E. (2022, August 8). Guide complet : le Social Commerce sur TikTok. ECN | E-Commerce Nation.