It's important to know your target consumer when designing and launching an online retail store, and this can go beyond having an intuitive site layout and point of sale. There are many ways to give your company an edge over the competition, such as investing in new ecommerce software that allows you to streamline your retail store across multiple platforms.

However, a few new trends have been emerging that approach online retail from a different angle, offering customers innovative services that are changing the way people shop online. The majority of consumers prefer a fun shopping experience, according to the findings of a recent study by Compare Metrics and the e-tailing group.

One such trend that has gained traction is virtual shopping assistant{assistance?}. Sites can tailor offerings to consumers based on preset preferences, past purchases and other retail analytics for a personalized experience. According to Multichannel Merchant, this service could lead to increased sales, as consumers will be focusing more on the products than their price tags.

Peer-to-peer currencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin are becoming more popular among Internet users, so it makes sense that more and more retailers are beginning to accept it. Multichannel Merchant reported that more than 3,000 ecommerce stores now give their customers the ability to pay with these decentralized currencies.