Upload
others
View
2
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Hero of the E-Commerce Boom Is on Your Front PorchThe cardboard box has emerged as a sustainable solution that’s helping retailers keep pace with soaring digital sales during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s how.
$523.64
+14.9%
+13.6%
+18.0%
$601.65
$709.78
$461.03
2017
2018
2019
2020
This year has already seen 7.4M new digital buyers.
In the era of free shipping and two-day delivery, U.S. e-commerce sales were already growing rapidly. Months of quarantine have only accelerated that rise, with 2020 figures forecast to increase substantially.
U.S. retail e-commerce sales (in billions):
Source: eMarketer, May 2020
Source: eMarketer *Projeected
As a result, the pandemic has helped drive the trend of e-commerce sales comprising a larger and larger portion of overall retail sales.
E-commerce as % of overall retail sales:
This reflects a 62.4% YoY increase
10.6%
3Q191Q19
10.4%
2Q19
10.1%
4Q19
12.8%*14.8%
3Q201Q20
12.1%
2Q20
16.4%
4Q20
*15%
This 28% increase is actually larger than the increase in people who wash their hands more frequently (+21%)
APRIL 10, 2020
41%
MARCH 10, 2020
13 %
Chances are, you are one of those buyers. In the span of just one month, a survey of U.S. adults revealed a huge shift from physical to digital shopping.
U.S. retail e-commerce sales (in billions):
Source: Ipsos/USA Today
61.5%Food and Beverage
27.4%Books
29.5%Video Games
60.0%Household Products
46.1%Fashion, Clothing,
Apparel
43.3%Electronics 46.4%
Baby Care Products
64.6%Cosmetics and Personal Care
Groceries are far from the only products that U.S. internet users are having delivered directly to their doors during the pandemic.
% of adults who have bought these products digitally:
Source: OnePoll (via eMarketer)
This trend doesn’t only impact giant retailers. Small and medium-size businesses are also adapting, with nearly two-thirds expecting to lean more heavily on digital sales in the future.
How much will U.S. SMBs rely on e-commerce post-pandemic?
30.7%Rely the same amount
34.8%Rely somewhat more
31.6%Rely much more
3%Rely less
Source: Pymnts.com
Fortunately, research on consumer sentiment shows an enduring preference for the humble cardboard box.
of Americans rely on
corrugated cardboard boxes
to ship merchandise safely on
a four-year average
81%are more likely to buy brands
that package their products in
paper or cardboard
71%agree that paper and cardboard
packaging is less wasteful than
other packaging
84%
Source: Paper and Packaging Board, Ipsos
This has resulted in steady growth for the corrugated box industry in the United States.
U.S. corrugated consumption in tons:
Source: American Forest & Paper Association
65.7%1999
82.2%2009
92.0%2019
The average corrugated box contains 48% recycled content.
But the increased use of corrugated boxes hasn’t come at the expense of the environment, and that includes strong forest stewardship practices. In fact, the recycling rate of corrugated packaging now sits above 90%, the culmination of decades of sustainability efforts.
Recycling rate of old corrugated containers (OCC):
Source: Corrugated.org; American Forest & Paper Association
33.514M2019
34.379M
33.576M2017
32.416M
32.152M2015
31.713M
31.131M2013
2014
2016
2018
+