As the global market becomes more interconnected, the May 2021 market trends highlight e-commerce innovations and smart products for niche demographics. Given the in-person limitations of the pandemic, digital technologies catalyzed new opportunities for businesses to target previously untapped populations through specialized products and services.
Capitalizing on the pandemic's physical limitations, The Gift Card Shop sells digital gift cards from over 100 popular brands such as Mastercard and Walmart. These virtual gift cards can be attached to personalized e-cards that carry thoughtful and celebratory messages. The preloaded cards offer consumers an accessible way to give their loved ones the gift of choice.
Walgreens launched a pandemic-friendly service that offers two-hour delivery on over 24,000 of its products. The contactless delivery service enables consumers to continue to shop for their favorite products in a safe and convenient way.
Top 30 Market Trends in June
From Same Day Retail Deliveries to Eco-Friendly E-Commerce Packaging:
Josh Thompson-Persaud — Jun 19, 2021 — Business
30
Eco-Friendly E-Commerce Packaging
Sleek and Sturdy, Boox Packaging Can Be Reused Multiple Times
29
Ready-To-Grill Asian BBQ Deliveries
The Summer Grilling Essentials Bring Asian Flavors to BBQ
28
Subscription-Based Maintenance Services Startups
Super Raised $50 Million in Funding to Expand
27
Immune-Boosting Ready-to-Drink Shots
ARMR Pro Immunity Shots are Full of Nutrient-Rich Superfruits
26
Health-Conscious Potato Chips
Mindful Snacker Launched the Low-Fat, Low-Salt Simply Roasted Chips
25
Teen-Branded Banking Apps
Step Banking Offers Teens the Tools for Financial Success
24
Small Business-Finding Apps
The Amaze App Helps Locals Discover New Businesses in Their Area
23
Keto-Friendly Superfood Smoothies
Blendtopia Launches a Line of Organic Keto Smoothie Kits
22
Luxury Fabric Resale Platforms
Nona Source Gives Fabrics a Second Chance Through E-Commerce
21
Self-Service AI Chatbots
Verint IVA Chatbots Offer Businesses User-Friendly Automation
20
Ready-to-Drink Coffee Concentrates
Jot Ultra Coffee Dropped the Limited-Edition Daydream Brew
19
Nostalgic NFT Character Collectibles
CryptoPunk NFTs are Rare and Exclusive Character Collectibles
18
Inaugural Sports Apparel Launches
Wilson Sporting Goods Will Expand into Athletic Clothing
17
Fragrance-Free Curl-Friendly Haircare
LUS Brands' Fragrance-Free Haircare Caters to Curls
16
Accessible Eco Produce Distribution
Hilton Hotels Recently Signed an Agreement with FreshOnTable
15
E-Commerce Hiring Expansions
Amazon Will Look to Hire 75,000 for Fulfillment and Logistics Roles
14
Contactless Interactive Bank Machines
Vantage Credit Union Uses Interactive Teller Machines
13
Retail Business Acquisitions
Gap is Selling Its Intermix Business to a Private Equity Firm
12
Digital Device Accessibility Features
New Apple Accessibility Features Enable Hands-Free Control
11
Media Business Acquisitions
A Majority of Verizon Media Was Sold to a Private Equity Firm
10
Fashion Retail Acquisitions
South Moon Under Was Purchased by Ames Watson a Private Equity Firm
9
American Whiskey Expansions
Irish Brand Kirker Greer Spirits Picked Up Bowsaw American Whiskey
8
Same Day Retail Deliveries
Walgreens Launched Its New Two-Hour Delivery Service Across the U.S.
7
E-commerce Return Platform Acquisitions
PayPal Purchased a U.S. Startup Named Happy Returns
6
Inventory Restricted Retail Strategies
Under Armor Will Take on a New Inventory Strategy
5
Retail Eyewear Collaborations
Gap Entered into an Eyewear Deal with De Rigo Launching in 2022
4
Virtual Gift Card Shops
The Gift Card Shop Sells Gift Cards from 100+ Brands in a Virtual Store
3
Bank-Focused Virtual Meeting Services
Better Branches Technology Offers Virtual Visitor Services
2
Paper Retail Acquisitions
Paper Source is Likely to Be Sold to Elliot Investment Management
1
Australian Sunscreen Expansions
Ocean-Safe Sunscreen Brand Blue Lizard is Launching in Canada
Related Ideas
Woman-Owned Eco Totes
Digital Avenue is a Woman-Founded Spunky Tote Bag Brand Based in Toronto
Water-Scarce Product Concepts
The Drop Store Envisions Products from a World with Less Water
Unified Grocery Shopping Platforms
Instacart Debuts New All-in-One 'Connected Stores' Platform
Virtual Beauty Storefronts
The Clinique Lab is a Next-Gen Digital Retail Concept
Discount Retailer Mobile Apps
Family Dollar Debuted a New Mobile Shopping App for Customers
Cosmetic Delivery Services
DoorDash, Sally Beauty and Mac Cosmetics Unite for New Delivery Options
On-Demand Fashion Production
Shein Moves Away From its Fast Fashion Roots with New Manufacturing
QR-Coded Reusable Gift Bags
Tokki is Revolutionizing How Consumers Give Gifts
Online Merchandise Storefronts
The Panera Shop Gives Access to Bread-themed Apparel & Carb-Couture
Interactive In-Store Ads
Visibubble Brings Mobile Messaging Capabilities to Store Shelves
Multi-Brand Virtual Malls
Bloomingdale’s Virtual Experience Spotlights Beloved Brands
Digital Celeb Shopping Experiences
This Walmart Digital Shopping Experience Has Customized Carts
Food-as-Medicine Programs
The Good Food Prescription Program is Delivered by Instacart
GenAI Virtual Shoppers
Cindy by Imaginuity Boots Online and In-Store Foot Traffic
Digital Rewards-Integrated Cards
TranzactCard Introduces the eZ-Power Card to its Fintech Platform
AR Retailer Haircare Experiences
Walmart Beauty Virtual Try-On Now Includes Hair Color Products
Co-Browsing Shopping Platforms
buywith's Next Gen Co-Browsing Patent Helps Customers Shop Together
Text-to-Shop Retail Services
Walmart Text to Shop Makes it Easier Than Ever to Shop
AR Shopping Malls
American Express' Door to Shop Small Highlights 10 Small Businesses
Sustainable E-Commerce Packaging
Dow and P&G China Launch Reduced Weight and Impact Packaging
Reusable Grocery Delivery Packaging
Milk & More and Again Partnered for Reusable Packaging Options
Romantic On-Demand Gift Deliveries
Minted and DoorDash Have Partnered for On-Demand Delivery
Modern Gifting Services
Fresh Sends Reinvents Flower Delivery & Gift-Giving for a New Generation
E-Commerce Beauty Packaging
Aptar Beauty + Home's Redesigned Packaging is "E-Commerce Capable"
AI-Enhanced Grocery Apps
Instacart Unveiled a Suite of AI Features Coming to its Mobile App
Smart Shopping Cart Ads
Instacart Unveiled Ads for Its AI-Powered Caper Carts
AI Mother's Day Campaigns
Showcase is Simplifying Mother's Day Shopping with ChatGPT
Laundry Tab E-Commerce Packaging
Reckitt Debuts New E-Commerce Packaging For its 'Multipower Tabs'
AI-Powered Retail Tools
Walmart is Introducing a New Series of AI Tools for Customer Experience
E-retailer Fashion Pop-ups
The SHEIN Pop-up Shop Experience Opens March 23 at the Eaton Centre
Curated Online Shopping Events
Walmart+ is Offering an Online-Only Shopping Event for Members
Advanced Adaptive Retail Experiences
Walmart Unveiled New Retail Technologies at CES 2024
AI-Powered Marketing Tools
This E-Commerce Tool Uses Customer Data to Project Reward Impacts
Beauty Brand Accelerator Programs
Walmart Start™ Returns to Discover Next Gen Beauty Brands
Community Commerce Pop-Ups
TikTok Shop UK Opened a Pop-Up on London's Oxford Street
Sustainable Skincare Packaging Pivots
Aveeno® Canada Introduces a New Look & Better, Eco Packaging
Retailer-Backed Beauty Categories
Moda Operandi Launches a Curated Beauty Category
Healthy Eating Grocery Initiatives
Instacart Introduces New 'Instacart Health' Project
Retailer Health Goal Apps
'Sincerely Health' from Albertsons Companies is Feature-Rich
Phygital Fashion Retail Experiences
Macy's mstylelab Digital Shopping Platform is Immersive
Curated Grocery Delivery Lists
Instacart Carts Offer Themed Shopping Lists Packed with Items
Live Commerce Holiday Windows
TalkShopLive's WindowShopping Merges Physical & Digital Experiences
AI-Powered Supermarkets
Green Picks Market Autonomous Grocery Store is Frictionless
Integrated E-Commerce Apps
Amazon is Adding 'Buy with Prime' to Shopify through New Integrations
Festive Delivery Service Events
The DoorDash Deck the Doorstep Event Offers 12 Days of Deals
Boomer-Focused Grocery Services
Baby Boomers Continue to Dominate in Online Shopping Post-COVID
Modern Consignment Programs
GotStyle Recently Launched a New Consignment Program
Wasteful Shopping Billboards
Not On The High Street's Billboards Highlight a "Don't Gift Guide"
Secondhand Fashion Editorials
Vinted Styled a Shoot Exclusively with Vinted Finds
DTC Health Product Deliveries
Gopuff Unveils Its New Health & Wellness Sub-Label, 'Goodnow'
Product Exploration Retailer Tools
These New Instacart Discovery Tools Connect Brands to Retailers
Wellness-Focused Retailer Ranges
Target is Welcoming More Than 1,000 Wellness Products
Customizable White-Label Consumables
Printify Offers On-Demand Consumables for Brands & Businesses
Early-Access Shopping Apps
The J.Crew App Provides Users Access to Sales 48 Hours in Advance
Loneliness-Combatting Grocery Shopping Experiences
Oma's Soep Debuted a Shopping Basket Initiative
Reformulated Skincare Rebrands
Bath & Body Works Underwent a Large-scale Shift to Cleaner Products
Recyclable Paper Packaging Initiatives
Walmart is Swapping to Recyclable Packaging on All Channels
Plastic-Free Personal Care Products
Community Goods Touts Eco-Friendly Solutions and Packaging
Digital Wallet Loyalty Solutions
Loopy Loyalty Adds Loyalty Cards in Apple and Google Wallet
Retailer Sustainability Milestones
Staples Canada is Exceeding Sustainability Goals Ahead of 2025
Accessible Clean Beauty Platforms
Clean Beauty at Walmart Features More Than 900 Products
Gen Z-Targeting TikTok Tools
American Express & TikTok Launch the '#ShopSmall Accelerator' Program
Reloadable Contactless Keychains
Zara is Replacing Single-Use Gift Cards with Keychains
Canadian Eco Packaging Expansions
The Body Shop Recently Expanded its Refill Program to Canada
On-Demand Wellness Deliveries
DoorDash and The Vitamin Shoppe Will Offer On-Demand Delivery
Vegan Lifestyle Gift Cards
The Vegan Gift Card from epay is Touted as the First of its Kind
Streamlined Shoppable Video Ads
Instacart Launches New Shoppable Video Ads in 'Ads Manager'
Revamped Private Label Ranges
The Target up&up Collection Has Been Expanded and Updated
Omnichannel Grocery Technologies
Instacart Launches the New Omnichannel Solutions for Grocers
Digital Delivery Service Storefronts
Instacart Storefront Lets Retailers Customize the Interface
AR Secondhand Shops
American Eagle Outfitters' RE/AE Shop Spotlights Sustainable Goods
Back-to-School Shopping Services
Staples Teams Up with DoorDash to Release a New Delivery Service
Beauty-Focused Shopping Apps
The 'Trendio' Live Shopping App Offers Access to Beauty Content
Sustainable E-Commerce Businesses
SustainKart is an Indian Marketplace Prioritizing Sustainability
At-Home Healthcare Technologies
Best Buy Health and PwC Strategy& are Making Care More Accessible
Digital Loyalty Customer Cards
Passkit Makes Loyalty Cards for Apple and Google Wallet
Low-Waste Shopping Solutions
ASDA, Avery Berkel & Hanshow are Enhancing Sustainability in the UK
Curated Office Essentials Collections
Staples Canada Offers Office Essentials for Springtime
Rewarding Graduation Cards
Hallmark and Venmo Created Giftable Cards for the Class of 2024
Sustainable Medication Expansions
Cabinet Health is Launching 14 Products at Target
Third-Party Artisanal Marketplaces
Michaels Launches the MarkerPlace Alternative Marketplace
Beauty Shop Deliveries
Uber and The Body Shop Expand Partnership to Include 75 New Storefronts
Virtual Beauty-Focused Stores
Laura Mercier Debuts the Virtual ‘World of Beauty’ Store
Senior-Friendly Shopping Days
Walgreens Seniors Day Supports Safe & Supportive Shopping
Social Shopping Apps
Locker Helps Users Organize, Share, and Earn from Online Wishlists.
On-Demand Delivery Cards
DoorDash Partners with Aldi and Launches its First Rewards Card
Self-Guided Cannabis Retail Experiences
BLAZE ECOM Revolutionizes In-Store Cannabis Retail
Expanded D2C Deliveries
Kroger Debuts Two New Spoke Factories to Improve White Glove Deliveries
Digital Retailer Strategy Updates
This Walmart eCommerce Update Refreshes the Website and App
Sustainable Private Label Products
CVS Total Home is Introducing Several New Products
Text-Based Shopping Features
Walmart Unveils a New Shopping by Text Feature for Mobile Shoppers
Virtual Convenience Stores
The Instacart-Powered ALDI Express Offers 30-Minute Deliveries
Alcohol Cashback Programs
Swiftly's Alcohol Cashback Program Redefines the Rebate Process
Digital Experience Gifting
Memory Crate Lets Users Gift Coupons, Experiences, or Acts of Service
Simplified Loyalty Programs
CVS Pharmacy Adds Two More Membership Tiers to its Reward Program
Retail Social Platforms
Walmart is Taking Social Media Seriously with 'Walmart Creator'
B2B eCommerce Retailer Platforms
Walmart Business Streamlines Access to Essentials
Online Beauty Marketplaces
Superdrug and Mirakl Introduce a Health and Beauty Online Marketplace
Big Box Delivery Subscriptions
Walmart Canada Launches the Affordable Delivery Pass
Exclusive Subscription-Based Merchandise
Disney+ Expands Into E-Commerce with a Merch Shop
Offline Shopping Campaigns
'Shop Offline' Helps People Rediscover the Joy of Real-World Shopping
Virtual eCommerce Health Services
Amazon Clinic is Focused on Over 20 Common Health Conditions
eCommerce Credit Cards
Shopify Credit is a Business Card Exclusively for Merchants
Same-Day Grocer Delivery Benefits
Instacart and SNAP Will Offer Same-Day Delivery for Recipients
Quirky eCard Platforms
Happiepages Has an Online Celebratory Card for Any Occassion
Affordable Gifting Marketplaces
Bifties Is the Gifting Destination for Any Special Occasion
Youth Accessory Brand Partnerships
Claire's is Partnering with Walgreens to Expand Retail Presence
Same Day Gift Deliveries
Instacart Offers Same Day Delivery for Last-Minute Gifts
Virtual Convenience Store Concepts
Aldi Launches a Virtual Convenience Store Called Aldi Express
Lifestyle Sales Expansions
At Home Launches Upgrades to Same-Day Delivery and a New Mobile App
Retailer Drone Delivery Programs
Wing Joins Walmart to Offer Drone Deliveries in Dallas
Seasonally Shaped Springtime Treats
The Mars Wrigley 2023 Easter Range is Expansive
Social E-Commerce Platforms
TikTok is Launching a New E-Commerce Platform for Consumers
Convenient Palm Payment Expansions
Amazon One Payments are Coming to Whole Foods Markets
On-Demand Grocer Deliveries
Sprouts Farmers Market and Uber Eats Partnered for Fast Delivery
Nutritional Assistance Retail Partnerships
Raley’s and Instacart Partnered for SNAP Recipients
Halloween-Inspired Retail Capsules
Target Debuts a New Private-Label Halloween Capsule for October
Retailer-Backed Holiday Experiences
J. Crew Launches a New AI-Powered Holiday Experience
24-Hour Pharmacy Deliveries
Walgreens Same Day Delivery Will Fulfill Orders 24/7
Mental Health Branding Initiatives
L.L.Bean Digitally Detoxed for Mental Health Awareness Month
Speedy Same-Day Grocery Deliveries
Instacart and Giant Eagle Have Partnered for Same-Day Delivery
Christmasy Convenience Retailer Promotions
The 7-Eleven Holiday Deals are Here for 2023
Holiday Meal Savings Campaigns
The Dollar General 'Decked Out In Deals' Campaign is Cost-Conscious
Revamped Grocery Loyalty Apps
Tesco Unveils the New and Improved Digital Clubcard and Grocery App
Inclusive Try-On Programs
Perfect Corp. Connects Beauty Brands with Digital Beauty Innovation
Canadian Retail Delivery Expansions
Walmart Canada Unveils an Unlimited Next Day Delivery Service
E-Commerce Optimizing Platforms
Lily AI Use Algorithms to Help Retailers Improve Their Webstores
Cash-Gifting Greeting Cards
Hallmark + Venmo Cards Simultaneously Share Heartfelt Messages & Money
Convenient Order Pickup Services
Card Factory Launches a Click & Collect Service for Its Customers
Grocery Delivery Payment Updates
DoorDash Now Accepts SNAP/EBT Online Payments
On-Demand Convienience Shopping
Just Eat and Co-op Launch a UK-Based On-Demand Delivery Service
Expanded COVID Treatment Deliveries
Walgreens Free Paxlovid Delivery Service Covers 92% of the US
Holiday Home Delivery Upgrades
Amazon Offers an Array of New Holiday Delivery Features
Enhanced Shopping Results
Google Updates its Search Engine to Better Aid Holiday Shopping
Low-Cost Cosmetic Retailer Expansions
Dollar General is Rolling Out a New Beauty Layout
EBT-Supported Grocery Deliveries
Amazon Debuts an Unlimited Grocery Delivery Service for EBT Users
Personalized Greeting Card Services
eGrowcery and Card Isle Now Offer Customized Greeting Cards
Month-Long Holiday Shopping Promotions
Walmart 'Black Friday Deals for Days' is Back This November
Speedy Grocery Delivery Partnerships
AWG and DoorDash Will Offer On-Demand Grocery Deliveries
Digital Commercial Payment Apps
Mastercard Unveils the Mobile Virtual Card App for Businesses