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E-business is one of the greatest economic and social revolutions of recent years. It is particularly important at this time of year (15% of all Christmas shopping will be done online) and will set the trend for the coming months. ESADE Marketing lecturer Marc Cortés forecasts that 2012 will be a boom year for online sales and collective buying.

Online transactions are growing at a rate of 20% a year and now account for between 5% and 8% of all retail sales. In 2011, e-commerce in Spain climbed by 26%. Prof. Cortés maintains that collective buying sites (Lets bonus, Groupon…) will become increasingly popular amongst users in service and experience segments, realms in which air travel and holiday packages will continue to be the most in demand.

Cortés refers to the experience of other countries, such as the US, as a benchmark for consolidating e-commerce in Spain. On Black Friday (the day following Thanksgiving Day and traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the United States), 38% of these purchases were done online. “What happens over there, happens in Europe a few months later", says Prof. Cortés. However, according to this marketing expert, growth will be gradual because misapprehension still persists about, for example, transaction security, returns policies and delivery. Cortés puts this down to the fact that “Spanish faith in e-commerce is relatively recent".

Opportunity for shops
Internet will be important for shops and will distinguish between many shops in terms of increased sales and customer contact. Social networks, collective buying and cut-price outlets will be the main factors to set themselves apart from the competition. Cortés declares that new models for last-minute and collective buying will emerge (with 2 million users a month) and new contextualised forms of communication and advertising, including “here and now¿ offers via mobile phone apps will be developed. In addition, many shops will launch coupons and collective buying sites to increase their online presence. Against this backdrop, mobiles will become the main vehicle for internet access.

More social consumer
This marketing professor also describes a more social consumer more involved in innovative changes. Online convenience will make shopping increasingly intelligent: buyers will use the internet as the starting point for taking decisions, looking for offers and comparing prices. Consumers will also use Twitter and Facebook recommendations more before buying and will visit corporate websites less. Cortés therefore feels that brands that want to influence the buying process must increase their presence in social networks.