Consumers are buying more goods and services online than ever before, a trend predicted to continue into the foreseeable future. Global eCommerce sales will reach $6.5 trillion by 2023, but several nagging issues continue to prevent online retail decision-makers from achieving greater success.

At Pattern, we recently asked more than 450 decision-makers at major online retailers to share their concerns and challenges in building sales through online marketplaces. The results of the report can help companies better understand the unique problems with eCommerce and identify successful solutions. We found intriguing common threads, including concerns about the sales threat of Amazon’s private label products and an overarching desire to expand into international markets.

Decision-makers pointed to a landscape of runaway growth driven by heavily marketed retail holidays and brands that face a wide array of challenges, from fake reviews to navigating international markets.

• Taking advantage of major shopping holidays and events has become critical for brands. Respondents highlighted Black Friday (31%) and Amazon Prime Day (31%) as the two most important for their sales figures, with Prime Day already rivaling Black Friday after just four years.

• Conventional wisdom has it that high-population markets in Asia are the most sought-after opportunities, but surprisingly, the majority of respondents ranked the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as the region representing their greatest interest.
• Fake reviews are an epidemic for all eCommerce companies. Over 64% of respondents said fake reviews were either their top challenge or their highest-ranked secondary challenge, and all respondents indicated they struggled with fake reviews on some level.
• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents said they are concerned with competing against Amazon’s private label products.
• Over 85% of respondents ranked Asia as either the first- or second-most difficult region in which to find success. The results suggest that brands looking to enter Asian markets need to make sure they are sufficiently researching and finding the right partners before diving in.

Download the full report here.

Although companies face pain points, struggles with international markets, and difficulties with technology, global eCommerce presents tremendous opportunities to reach new customers with exciting products. Pattern's 100+ employees located across 13 global offices make navigating international eCommerce easy. Contact us below to learn how we help brands win on new marketplaces.