![Modern pet owners and content trends](https://globalpetindustry.com/wp-content/cache/thumb/stub_5d611155016ef46_960x540.png)
New and growing channels
We tend to lose sight of the fact that online retailing is still very young. Ten years ago, it took less than 3% of all retail sales. It is only recently that most people have started buying online and both consumers and retailers are, to some extent, still finding their way.
That said, current growth predictions look good: the biggest four global online shopping markets will double in size over the next three years as consumers buy increasing amounts of goods through the internet.
Online sales in the UK, US, Germany and China will grow by €350 billion ($417 billion) between now and 2018, expanding the size of the online market to €704 billion ($839 billion), according to research from OC&C Strategy Consultants, PayPal and Google.
British shoppers already spend almost 20% of their shopping via the internet. It would appear that the online shopping revolution will continue to be driven by smartphones. In the UK, 59% of online sales are now through smartphones or tablets, ahead of the 45% in the US and 24% in Germany.
Making habitual purchasing easier
Clearly, some categories are more suited to habitual online repeat purchasing than others. Bulky products such as nappies and pet food are perfect examples. Last year, Amazon debuted Dash buttons for its Prime members. The Dash button is a programmable wifi connected device that syncs to the Amazon app, and can be placed anywhere in a person’s home. A push of a button triggers an order through Amazon, and the product is delivered to the shopper’s door. Each Dash button costs $4.99, which is credited back to a shopper’s account with the first order. This has been so successful that Amazon has recently expanded its Dash service to more than 100 other brands/products, including Purina and Iams.
Trust me?
Whilst pet food can be somewhat unengaging, what if it is a pet purchase that requires advice or support? The good news is that the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer found that Britons are more likely to trust businesses than politicians or the media. 46% of the general population trusted business, compared to 36% who said they were confident in the government and an equal share who said they trusted the media. Among the top 25% of income-earners with university educations – what Edelman calls the “informed public” – trust was higher across the board, with 60% saying they trust business, 55% expressing confidence in the government and 52% trusting the media.
Creating great trusted sharable content
Although the advantages of telecommunications cannot be denied, it is important to remember that before the advancements in science and technology, people used to physically interact more. Why is this? Because of the fundamental reality that humans are social beings. The young and an increasing number of adults now find themselves active on social media, but their search for connections show that people crave human interaction. This is the main reason that, especially online, a trusted community can be beneficial in several ways.
1. Immersion The era of affordable virtual reality is upon us, which means being able to do anything. Brands have the opportunity to envelop audiences in rich and compelling environments,and let shoppers try before they buy without leaving their home.
2. Interactivity In the not-too-distant future, even shiny touch interface will begin to look archaic. MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is developing interactive dynamic video (IDV), a technology which would allow consumers to instantaneously purchase products they see featured in virtual reality ads or films with just a flick of the wrist.
3. Ultra-personalization Today, our online experiences are only partly personalized. Content will adapt to create an ultra-personalized experience for us as individuals – factoring in everything from personality to location. Deep learning engines will carefully calculate and present content that appeals most to audiences, maximizing its effectiveness and engagement for those who publish or promote it.
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