Commerce Conversations Roundup: October 2022

Is Business Travel About to Stall? 

After virtually disappearing in early 2020, business travelers are again booking trips to meetings, conferences, and events. Global business travel was a $1.4 trillion industry in 2019 – but conflicting focuses have experts guessing at how long it will take for business travel to return to that level. Currently, the Global Business Travel Association projects $900B in 2022. For a detailed analysis, see this article in Skift.

What is Driving the Conversation?

Companies want to put employees – and especially their sales teams – back on the road, but inflation and a possible recession have led major firms like Google and Microsoft to announce sweeping travel restrictions in an effort to cut costs and protect earnings. That said, not all companies are taking the cost-cutting path. Aviation data company Arc reports that business travel is already at about 70% of where it was in 2019—and continues to climb.

Questions DCA Members are Asking:

1. How can we identify and appeal to companies that are still investing in business travel?
2. If a company’s travel is limited to “business critical” trips, what does the remaining travel spend look like? (For example, does the “business-critical” restriction increase or decrease the Las Vegas share of wallet? Does it impact international travel? Will it lead to trade-offs that increase any areas of travel spend?)
3. Will companies use their travel policies as part of their effort to attract and retain talent?
4. With business travel now at 70% of what it was pre-pandemic, do you anticipate it will ever get to pre-2020 levels? Why or why not?

Related DCA Resource:

Commerce Code Episode 124: The 2022 Travel Rollercoaster – Talking Consumers & Offers

Is Offline Online? Two States of Commerce Continue to Blur 

The pandemic gave digital commerce a boost as consumers steered clear of brick-and-mortar shopping to avoid contact with others. But that’s changing now: Recent research by Khoros reveals 67% of consumers believe the best shopping experiences now incorporate both humans and digital channels; 57% want the option to talk to someone before making a decision to buy.

What is Driving the Conversation?

A hybrid approach to shopping is the new normal, with 44% of B2C buyers and 58% of B2B buyers indicating they research a product online before going to a physical location, and vice versa, according to Bloomreach. Websites are currently the fastest growing channel driving engagement and sales—optimized for consumers with human representatives (and AI support) standing by.

Questions DCA Members are Asking:

1. How can we attract consumers who want both the online and offline buying experience?
2. How important is human interaction to our customers’ purchase decisions?
3. How do we know when our promotions or retail channel has reached the right online/offline balance?
4. How can we inspire confidence in a seller’s commitment to data privacy and security in the hybrid setting?

Related DCA Resource:

Commerce Code Episode 130: Did Mobile Banking Boom in the Pandemic?

Are NFTs the Next Loyalty Currency?

DCA Members are talking to us about NFTs. Should they move fast to incorporate the new technology into their programs? Or is it a passing fad?

NFTs (short for non-fungible tokens) are being used as customer rewards. Starbucks and Visa are using NFTs as part of their loyalty programs – providing big-brand support for the trend.

What is Driving the Conversation?

NFTs give their owners unique rights to a digital asset – usually an image of some kind. An NFTs collectors’ market has sprung up, like the market for baseball or Pokemon cards. Some DCA members think this is an obvious next step in loyalty rewards: don’t just give your customers points – give them NFTs. If consumers take a liking to them, they could be motivated to build their collections

Questions Executives are Asking:

1. Will consumers want to collect NFTs, and why?
2. Should loyalty NFTs be easily traded to others?
3. How should NFTs connect to the identity of the consumer?
4. What are the risks in using NFTs as loyalty points?
5. What is the first step for a company to become more involved in the NFT space?

Related DCA Resource:

Commerce Code Episode 109 – NFTs, Web3, and The Future of Blockchain

Are Super Apps the Next Big Thing?

In the last decade fintech firms began introducing single, easy-to-use digital financial solutions. Consumers embraced them, prompting the move toward expanding their products’ capabilities. Super Apps—integrated digital ecosystems with multiple capabilities—are prominent in China (WeChat leads the way) and Microsoft is making inroads here in the USA, according to a recent Forbes article.

What is Driving the Conversation?

More speed, an optimized user experience, tighter integration, and lower cost are driving demand. A recent Gartner report likens Super Apps to a Swiss army knife—delivering multiple benefits that appeal especially to younger consumers who’ve used smart phones most of their lives. The report expects that by 2027, more than 50% of the global population will use multiple Super Apps daily.

Questions DCA Members are Asking:

1. What is the definition of a Super App?
2. Is there a demand for Super Apps in the U.S.? Why or why not?
3. Why are Super Apps big in Asia but not here?
4. Are Super Apps just for consumers, or do they / will they encompass enterprise applications, i.e. workflow and collaboration?
5. What role are Super Apps playing in the digital commerce space?

Related DCA Resource:

Commerce Code Episode 130: Did Mobile Banking Boom in the Pandemic?

Member Spotlight

Congratulations DCA Member Company FIS on their Newest Partnership! 

Congratulations DCA Member Company VantageScore Solutions! 

DCA Events

DCA Working Group

Technology & Market Disruption

Virtual | Thurs, November 17th

Our DCA Working Group is a 120 minute virtual roundtable session led by DCA member Ramy Nassar, co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of Olive Ltd. and co-founder and Managing Partner of 1000 Days Out. Participants will analyze disruptive factors in digital commerce, including potential topics below. Participants will be surveyed in advance to set the final agenda.