Barclaycard outlines key 2023 retail and payments trends

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 14, 2022

Barclaycard Payments — which processes a third of all UK card spending — has identified a number of spending and payment trends for next year and thinks re-commerce, subscriptions, data and digital wallets will be key.

It also called out some obvious trends such as retailers and consumers being laser-focused on security, and the ongoing rise of omnichannel.

But looking at the rest of the trends, let’s deal with hot topic re-commerce first.

The ‘Re-commerce Economy’-- recycling, renting, reusing, and reselling – is, thankfully, on the rise with some 71% of businesses now catering to at least one of these trends. Half of Britons (47%) are now using more sustainable shopping methods compared to last year, with 46% seeing re-commerce “as a way to make a positive environmental and social impact”.

Barclaycard Payments says the cost-of -living crisis is also a contributing factor, as 43% are more mindful of their discretionary spending, with sustainable shopping cited as a way to help manage finances (41%) and reduce overall spending at a time of rising costs (37%).

The report says re-commerce could also offer commercial returns for businesses. “Whether launching rental models to drive new streams of income, offering reselling services, or increasing second-hand or pre-loved product lines, our data shows that offering alternatives to ‘buying new’ can increase a business’ customer base and revenue”.

SUBSCRIPTIONS, DATA AND DIGITAL WALLETS

Subscriptions are an interesting addition to the list. They’ve had a mixed year, as analysis of the subscription economy in July showed that, overall, consumers have cut back on the number of products and services they subscribe to. However, subscriptions retain “widespread popularity” and 34% of Britons now use them as a way to manage finances at a time of rising costs. 

Retailers also remain “highly committed” to subscription-based revenue streams, with 69% saying they think the subscription economy will continue to grow. Of those planning to launch a subscription offering, 42%will do so in the next year. 

Meanwhile, as retailers and their suppliers are hit by higher prices for everything from energy to raw materials, confidence and profitability have become more fragile, data analytics will play an increasing role in helping retailers navigate these issues in 2023, the report said.

Particularly for businesses with complex supply chains, “data can help to provide a comprehensive picture of the companies they trade with, the importance of those suppliers to business operations, and the risks involved”. 

And the firm’s research also found that digital wallets now represent the highest single transaction method at 30% of sales, outstripping contactless payments in-store (24%), conventional card payments online (21%) and cash (17%).

From their growth trajectory, digital wallets look set to become ever more widely used by customers and it’s becoming increasingly important for merchants to consider accepting Apple Pay and other digital wallet services.

“As a merchant, it’s important to review how consumers want to pay, and ensure your payments infrastructure can support these methods,” said Linda Weston, Managing Director, Head of Core Product.