The most significant influence on the retail sector over the past 19 months has unquestionably been the COVID-19 pandemic. (There’s nothing quite like a major global event to affect what we buy and how we buy it, —not to mention who sells it and how!) While the toilet paper panic-buying is mercifully in the rearview mirror, other emerging trends in consumerism—as well as ever-changing technology—will continue to shape the retail landscape into 2022.

Ecommerce sales have skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, which, according to IBM, has accelerated the shift to online shopping by an astounding five years. Brick-and-mortar merchants that failed to take advantage of this shift have missed a massive opportunity. It’s not too late to make a move, though. An ecommerce platform like BigCommerce is a quick and easy way to get online. Whether you’re a retailer with an existing website looking to boost online sales or a business that is late to the game and wants to tap into ecommerce sales, an all-in-one solution is a great way to do it.

  Independent grocers are significant, but under-recognized, contributors to the health of America’s economy. They generate over 1 million jobs and gross billions of dollars in wages and tax revenues and are responsible for 1.2% of the national GDP.

The go-local movement, which was gaining traction even before the pandemic, has built even more momentum over the last year. In fact, many Americans are rebelling against the dominance of online retail behemoths and big-box stores, choosing instead to support the local economy. As a merchant—or even as someone looking to start a new income stream in 2021—this expanding niche is an area worth considering.

In 2019, a major retailer was exploring how to launch a curbside-delivery business over an 18-month span. When the COVID-19 lock-down hit, the delivery model went live in two days.