What Kind of Changes Does the Digital Consumer Lead to in Companies?

The COVID pandemic led to a much wider audience meeting the internet. The number of internet users worldwide is expected to reach 4.7 billion by the end of 2022, corresponding to 60 percent of the global population. During the pandemic, consumers who had to stay at home due to epidemic measures turned to online shopping to meet their needs. Thus, increasing internet integration began to shape consumers' demands and expectations. 89% of digital sector employees state that in the upcoming period, decisions on whether companies will be preferred will be made by looking at their expertise in the digital field. According to a study by Euromonitor, the concept of loyalty for digital consumers will also change within this framework. Approximately one-third of consumers do not find their earned loyalty rewards valuable. Digital sector employees also state that loyalty programs need to be deepened. Companies now have a larger volume and variety of data than before. Therefore, it is predicted that a data-driven approach can lead this change. Even highly personal data such as media habits can be obtained. Consumers also expect their data to be used for personalization, but naturally, not every consumer's expectation from personalization is the same. At this point, it will become important for companies to be able to use the data they have for predictive personalization in a way that meets consumers' expectations. The increase in the rate of meeting ordinary daily needs through online shopping during the pandemic process also increased expectations in the delivery area. Consumers see slow delivery as a problem and expect companies to shorten delivery times. On the other hand, consumers have become more sensitive to recyclable packaging and carbon emissions. According to Euromonitor's study, 65% of digital consumers are concerned about climate change. Considering that product e-commerce is expected to increase by 60% globally between 2021-26, pressure for sustainable products and packaging is expected to increase. These trends may accelerate the development of sustainable business models. In addition to the expectation of fast delivery, another expected change in the delivery area is pickup. The e-commerce model expressed as Click and Collect is a hybrid e-commerce model where consumers buy or choose products online but instead of receiving them via cargo, they pick them up themselves from a store or a central collection point. Concerns caused by supply chain blockages and delayed cargoes drive consumers to seek alternatives, and click-and-collect can currently answer this search. Click and collect is also an advantageous alternative for companies as it reduces delivery costs. With the increasing orientation towards digital channels, the use of virtual commerce technologies may also increase. The process that started with the use of augmented and virtual realities can be taken to a higher level with developments such as metaverse, which adds more dimensions to the experience. In addition, the metaverse can also strengthen loyalty behaviors with the experiences it will provide to consumers. Finally, Omni-channel can be a prominent trend in 2022 by making shopping more seamless for consumers. Leading retailers are stated to continue investing in omni-channel technology. Consumers do not examine products in physical stores as much as before due to increasing online channels. Visual commerce and social commerce are other developments that can be seen i…