Q4 2021 Ecommerce Brand Growth News

The ecommerce landscape experienced a multitude of changes over the course of 2020 and 2021, and Q4 of this year was no exception.

As we prepare to exit the turmoil of the past two years to enter 2022, let’s take a look at how this year ended with the top digital marketing news of Q4 2021. This edition of your quarterly brand growth news update includes the latest on the 2021 holiday shopping season, consumer privacy, social media news, and more.

Consumer Privacy

• Apple’s iOS 14.5 update is affecting major businesses like Peloton, Pinterest, & Wayfair, with users now required to opt into sharing their data with apps. The lack of ability to target customers is largely the cause of the impacts. Read more. (eMarketer)

Social Media News

• Last week, the company formerly known as Facebook announced a name change to Meta as it shifts focus to virtual and augmented reality. Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook will fall under this new umbrella. Read more. (Meta)
• Each month, 3.3 billion people use one of Meta (Facebook)’s core products (including Messenger, Instagram, & WhatsApp). Facebook has approximately 2.8 million monthly active users, a nearly 12% YoY increase. Read more. (Statista)

The Growth of Video

• US video ad spend is expected to grow 33.6% this year over last year to surpass $55 billion. By 2022, digital video advertising spend is expected to reach $67.2 billion, more than double what it was in just 2019. Read more. (Statista)
• Connected TV is expected to reach 80% of homes this year, though the average CTV campaign only gets to 13% of available households. Still, the average campaign hits a significant 75 million households. Read more. (Innovid)

Retail News

• Target will see retail ecommerce sales hit a record $18.64 billion this year, up from just $6.79 billion in 2019. After surging 143.9% last year, this year’s growth will be a more modest 12.5%. Read more. (eMarketer)
• Home Goods, one of the leading US home retailers, launched its first ecommerce site last week. The retailer has been around since 1992 and is growing its online presence in an effort to increase market share and sales. Read more. (RetailDive)
• Amazon is partnering with PayPal to enable shoppers to make purchases with Venmo starting in 2022. The update comes with new data that 47% of users are interested in using Venmo to pay at checkout. Read more. (PayPal Newsroom)
• Target will host its second annual Deal Days from October 10-12 this year. Target introduced the holiday savings event last year to compete with Prime Day after Amazon moved it from July to October. Read more. (Target Corporate Blog)
• Target is expanding its same-day delivery services for the holidays as the world continues to feel constraints from supply chain strain. Most orders will be ready for delivery or pickup within just a few hours. Read more. (Target)

The 2021 Holiday Shopping Season

• Black Friday 2021 marked the first time that ecommerce did not grow year-over-year. Consumers spent $8.9 billion during Black Friday this year compared to $9 billion in 2020. Read more. (Adobe Analytics)
• Ecommerce sales grew 8.7% year-over-year this Cyber Monday compared to last year. That’s also an 11.7% increase over Cyber Monday 2019. Read more. (Mastercard Spendingpulse)
• Cyber Week sales in the US were up 4% year-over-year to reach a record $62 billion this year. Globally, Cyber Week sales increased 2% to $275 billion. Read more. (Salesforce)
• Black Friday 2021 marked the first time that ecommerce did not grow year-over-year. Consumers spent $8.9 billion during Black Friday this year compared to $9 billion in 2020. Read more. (Adobe Analytics)
• Ecommerce sales grew 8.7% year-over-year this Cyber Monday compared to last year. That’s also an 11.7% increase over Cyber Monday 2019. Read more. (Mastercard Spendingpulse)
• Cyber Week sales in the US were up 4% year-over-year to reach a record $62 billion this year. Globally, Cyber Week sales increased 2% to $275 billion. Read more. (Salesforce)
• 87% of Gen Z shoppers will use social media for holiday gift inspiration this year, with YouTube, Instagram, & TikTok ranking as the top three channels. Social media will influence 58% of overall consumers’ holiday purchase decisions. Read more. (McKinsey)
• 28% of consumers plan to do more of their holiday shopping online this year than last year. Holiday sales already surged 32% year-over-year in 2020, meaning the 2021 holiday shopping season is likely one for the record books. Read more. (Coveo)
• With shipping and inventory concerns growing, more and more consumers are deciding to start their holiday shopping earlier than ever this year. 51% of shoppers will start before Thanksgiving. Of that, 2/3 started in October. Read more. (NPD)
• Consumer spending is projected to grow by 25.4% this holiday season, with the average shopper spending $870 on holiday-related purchases. At the same time, retailers are plagued by inventory and labor concerns. Read more. (JLL)