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Ecommerce sales in the U.S. grew 8.1% to $1.19 trillion last year and are projected to grow even faster in 2025, according to the Census Bureau, as consumers continue embracing digital shopping in all its many forms (most notably curbside pickup and same-day delivery). Online shopping now accounts for 16.1% of all retail sales (up from 15.3% in 2023).
Also growing is the impact of online shopping on in-store sales: Research from ecommerce data experts Profitero finds that 80% of U.S. shoppers are influenced by digital touchpoints —regardless of where they ultimately make their purchases.
And even the physical store is steadily becoming an ecommerce environment: “Content found on e-commerce product detail pages (PDPs) is increasingly used by shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores,” according to digital product information specialist 1WorldSync, whose latest survey found 11% of shoppers “always” using their smartphones for product research while in-store, and 54% doing so on more than half their trips.
Winning the digital shelf, therefore, has become the bedrock for brand success, as both the final checkpoint on the ecommerce path to purchase and an increasingly critical step in the brick-and-mortar purchase journey. Shoppers now have more choices than ever about where and how to buy products. But regardless of where those purchases are ultimately made, the PDP on retailer websites is an essential tool both for convincing shoppers to buy and driving them to conversion.
From basic information about benefits and ingredients, to lifestyle images depicting usage occasions, to product comparison charts, brand content on the digital shelf gives shoppers the information they need to make intelligent and confident purchase decisions, whether they’re new-to-brand buyers or loyal customers considering options. Uninspiring content and outdated or missing product information, on the other hand, can turn away both groups of shoppers, not just in the moment but for future purchases as well.
Maintaining an optimal digital shelf, however, has proven challenging for many brands because of the complexity involved in creating —and then maintaining —the vast amount of content that’s needed. Making the effort especially difficult is the fact that each retailer has its own set of guidelines and requirements for the type and amount of content that brands can present on their PDPs. What’s more, those guidelines change constantly. Each retailer’s requirements, as well as the content-mining algorithms that drive search results on their websites, are continuously evolving, which requires brands to conduct ongoing audits and updates of their pages.
Keeping current with these changes is vital; shoppers quickly move to the competition as soon as your brand stops appearing at the top of search results. And the accuracy and effectiveness of its PDPs play a huge role in a brand’s search performance.
Digital shelf optimization, therefore, is finally gaining dedicated resources at many brand organizations. But this increased investment makes it even more critical for brands to keep pace with the ongoing evolution of their key retailer partners.
That’s why Mars United developed this Digital Shelf Report, a cross-retailer guide for tracking the key content opportunities and sales-enhancing tools on leading ecommerce websites. We’re sharing this report publicly in the same spirit of learning and cooperation that has made our company a thought leader elsewhere in the commerce marketing industry.
We regularly update this report to follow the rapid changes taking place as retailers continue their efforts to improve the customer experience, win new shoppers, and drive sales growth.
The information we present in this report only scratches the surface of the ecommerce guidance we provide our clients, of course. Optimizing the digital shelf demands a blend of art and science in which brands must appeal to always evolving shopper preferences while simultaneously adhering to the retailer’s content criteria —using a mixture of the deep shopper insights, extensive retailer intelligence, and ecommerce expertise for which Mars United is uniquely suited to deliver.
NEW FEATURES IN THIS EDITION
With the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the marketing ecosystem as well as the everyday lives of consumers, this edition of the Digital Shelf Report shines a greater spotlight on emerging shopper touchpoints that are powered by AI. We’re showcasing these tools in a new Focus Area that also contains augmented and virtual reality capabilities (previously included in Sales Tools).
We’ve also added a pair of supplier-side generative AI-powered capabilities that allow brands to automate some of the tasks that enable online selling: Image/Video Creator Tools and Copy Creator Tools.
We hope you enjoy the fourth edition of Mars United’s Digital Shelf Report.
To download the report, fill out the form below.
