“Many online stores have benefited in three ways in the recent past: from the influx of new customers, higher purchase volumes, and higher purchase frequencies," says ZHAW researcher Darius Zumstein. "Overall, we estimate that sales in Swiss online retail will reach at least 15 billion Swiss francs in 2021. That's an increase of almost 50 percent compared to 2019." 92 percent of online retailers also expect sustainable growth in the post-pandemic period, which is expected to be strong (23 percent) or moderate (69 percent).

The online stores surveyed by ZHAW had an increase in orders in 2020 compared to 2019 that affected all product groups. Particularly affected were garden and do-it-yourself articles, toys, furniture and sports equipment, and food. The very strong demand for computer, multimedia, and electronic equipment in the spring of 2020 has leveled out somewhat in the meantime.

To cope with this growth, the majority of online retailers hired additional staff, for example in warehousing and order processing. Many so-called omnichannel merchants, which operate both physical and online stores, have expanded or upgraded their e-commerce departments. According to Zumstein, "the Corona crisis has brought about a significant digitization push in this regard." Many online retailers have continued to invest in expanding their warehouse capacity and in their IT systems. More than half now also sell their products on virtual marketplaces such as Digitec Galaxus or Amazon. That is significantly more than in 2019.

Current challenges facing online retailers include problems with procurement: Around three out of four suppliers state that suppliers are delayed or unable to deliver at all. In addition, 70 percent are experiencing increasing competition and price pressure. Among omnichannel providers, more than half expect there to be fewer brick-and-mortar stores in the coming years. "Some of the operators will probably increasingly rely on new store formats, such as experience stores or showrooms where only selected products from the online range are presented and sold," says Zumstein.

The standard payment options of online retail are still the same as in previous years: credit card and invoice. The proliferation of mobile processes has increased once again. For instance, 52 percent of the stores surveyed offer payment via TWINT. Technically, transactions are processed mainly via PayPal, Post Finance, Worldline, and Datatrans.