📈#020: Cross-border shopping trend is now unstoppable!

It’s been a long way coming for us! We couldn’t wait and be more excited to share with you our 20th issue of Market Mosiac, where, as always, our goal is to obsessively arm you with intelligence to outshine the competition and make smarter decisions for long-term growth with economic undercurrents and consumer evolutions in view. 📈

In this week's edition, we unpack the layers of the rapid popularity of cross-border e-commerce as cost-conscious consumers look abroad for better values.

We also explore the economic forces catalyzing this global shopping spree while analysing the immense revenue opportunities for merchants to capitalize on consumer demand for borderless commerce.

— Insights Team, Rwazi

Our Edition this week:

• Data Spotlight

• The Pulse

• Sector Scan

• Our Competitive Watch

DATA SPOTLIGHT
Consumers go for borderless e-commerce

E-commerce has opened up a world of options for shoppers - both literally and figuratively. Our latest consumer data analysis found that a 52% of online buyers across major markets like the US, UK and in Africa made at least one cross-border purchase from an international retailer over the past one year.

The appetite to shop beyond domestic limitations was particularly upscaled for categories like fashion (70% stating likelihood), sporting goods/hobbies (57%) and health/beauty (55%). For many, the lure of scoring lower prices by widening the e-commerce radius proved too compelling to resist.

Key Insight: Cost-conscious consumers are unhesitatingly expanding their e-commerce limits across borders in pursuit of value, making cross-border retail a powerful new battleground.  

THE PULSE
Featured Chart: Global retail sales from 2022 to 2025 (in USD billions)

SECTOR SCAN
Gray market risks intensify

One darker implication of the flourishing global e-commerce is the elevated threat of gray market products - particularly as 53% of shoppers admit they've ventured internationally due to rising prices at home.

Our analysis found that 29% of consumers would be open to purchasing counterfeit brand name items abroad if they delivered sufficient cost savings over authentic items. This dynamic poses risks for brands and authorized sellers around product diversion and piracy.

Key Insight: Brands must evolve anti-counterfeiting strategies to monitor unauthorized international sellers, police cross-border distributing integrity, and educate consumers on spotting fakes.

OUR COMPETITIVE WATCH
Pricing as a brand differentiator

When it comes to the motivations driving international e-commerce purchases, insights from our analysis found pricing reverberating as the loudest call. A full 41% of cross-border shoppers cited lower prices as the top reason for looking outside their home nations.

This dynamic signals pricing has taken on heightened importance as a brand differentiator on the global digital shelf. As consumers become more keen on their cross-border e-commerce purchases, retailers will face escalating pressure to maintain competitive global price positioning.

Key Insight: With cost-conscious shoppers now empowered to effortlessly evaluate international options, sustainable cross-border pricing strategies loom as a make-or-break capability.

WHAT IS HAPPENING AT RWAZI?
Rwazi captivates industry leaders at Plug and Play Tech Summit

Following our acceptance into the Plug and Play Brand & Retail Batch 21 program back in April, Rwazi took centre stage last week at the prestigious Plug and Play Tech Center summit.

Our Head of Product, Ashton Slatev, presented and demonstrated our groundbreaking platform to an audience of Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders. His compelling presentation and live demos showcased Rwazi's full capabilities, highlighting how our innovative intelligence solutions drive data accessibility and business growth to empower organizations with actionable insights.

Our team's hard work and dedication shone through, reinforcing our commitment to delivering unparalleled value to our audiences, partners and clients. You can only expect more exciting developments as we continue pushing boundaries and redefining consumer market intelligence.

Also, don’t forget to visit our new website today to experience how we are redefining the future of consumer market intelligence.

Thank you for reading and joining us on Market Mosaic this week. We hope this edition provides valuable, actionable insights for deciding with data. 📊 

You can read the more extended version of this newsletter edition with detailed insights here.