Worldwide ecommerce will approach $5 trillion this year; Antitrust, Brexit, and the CPPA Despite a challenging year for retail in 2020, we estimate that worldwide retail ecommerce sales posted a 27.6% growth rate for the year, with sales reaching well over $4 trillion. This represents a substantial uptick from our mid-pandemic assessment that global ecommerce would decelerate to 16.5% growth and demonstrates the remarkable extent to which consumers transitioned to ecommerce last year. Even as total worldwide retail sales declined by 3.0% and recessionary conditions set in around the world, ecommerce managed to perform above pre-pandemic expectations in 2020. We forecast that worldwide growth this year will be 14.3%, which is a relatively low number compared with 2019’s 20.2% and last year’s 27.6%, but it still represents $611 billion in additional ecommerce sales. Read the full article.

Global Social Advertising Trends in 2021 How are brands adapting to disruption and changing consumer habits in 2021? We surveyed hundreds of global brands to learn how they are approaching their social advertising strategies. Their insights will help you adjust and improve your strategy in the coming year. Get the new eBook

Podcast: Around the World with … Internet and Big Tech Regulation—Antitrust, Brexit and the CPPA eMarketer senior analyst Bill Fisher hosts principal analyst Karin von Abrams, senior analyst Paul Briggs, and research analyst at Insider Intelligence Man-Chung Cheung to discuss internet regulations worldwide: how Brexit will change UK internet rules, major EU antitrust cases, Canada's Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA), why the Chinese government has turned its attention to homegrown tech giants, and more. Listen in.

[Webinar] The ROI of Customer Experience Are you getting the best return on your investment in customer experience? Join this Analyst Webinar, made possible by Oracle Cloud CX, to learn which channels you should target, how to calculate the value of CX to your bottom line, and whether to improve all facets or become best-in-class in one area. Register Now

Report: Western Europe Retail Trends 2021 The pandemic drove a 26.3% leap in Western Europe ecommerce sales in 2020, but total retail sales fell. This report summarizes our latest forecasts for retail and retail ecommerce sales in the region and explores several key trends shaping online and offline retail in 2021. Read the executive summary.

The returns process is still frustrating for some shoppers The returns process has always been a hassle for many shoppers—particularly the task of having to ship something back. Amid the pandemic, these pain points are just as prevalent, if not more so. Read the article.