June 26, 2023

 

Given the boom in eCommerce during the pandemic and subsequent return to earth in 2022, retail leaders are finding it difficult to predict how much eCommerce will grow in the future and therefore what role it should play in their strategy.

 

Companies like Boxed that went public during the boom time have delisted. Even Amazon has had to conduct multiple rounds of layoffs, leading its digital peers in a rebalancing of resources to revised future growth.

 

We’re also inundated with headlines about the demise of eCommerce, with ones like:

  • Amazon reports almost no profit and slowing growth (New York Times)
  • Shopify drops as revenue outlook misses analysts’ forecasts (Bloomberg)
  • The future of retail isn’t DTC. How brands are embracing stores in 2023 (Inc. Magazine)

 

But is this constant drumbeat about consumers wanting to shop in stores reality? If so, to what degree and what does that mean for brands doing business with Amazon and other eTailers? Importantly, should eCommerce be a priority inside consumer brands?

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