The Digital Shelf vs. Ecommerce Explained

It's one of the most common questions in commerce: What’s the difference between the digital shelf vs. ecommerce? To answer this question, think about the last thing you bought — and consider how you made it to the point you decided to purchase.

You may have seen an influencer using the product on social media. You may have come across an ad for the item while scrolling through your news feed. It may have simply popped up at the top of your search results.

Anywhere you can meet products online is the digital shelf — which is now an essential part of the commerce journey. Learn everything you need to know about the digital shelf, including its benefits and the digital shelf vs. ecommerce.

What Is the Digital Shelf?

The digital shelf is everywhere shoppers can discover, research, and buy something online. It’s made up of a collection of “digital touch points,” which are all of the places a product exists online. It’s similar to a physical shelf in a store, but on the digital shelf, the shopping aisle is endless and changes continually.

The digital touch points that make up the digital shelf include:

• Retailer sites
• Direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites
• Third-party (3P) marketplaces
• Mobile shopping apps
• Social media commerce

In the past, when you wanted to buy something, you would visit your local brick-and-mortar store and choose from the limited number of options on the shelf. This shelf space was dominated by a small selection of brands with the scale and distribution advantages to limit competition.

Now, you likely start your buying journey with a search bar. From retailer sites, 3P marketplaces, and D2C sites to review websites highlighting the best products — and even social media influencers promoting their top picks — the simple act of buying something isn’t as straightforward as it used to be.

How To Win on the Digital Shelf

The digital shelf is infinite, which means competition on the digital shelf is likewise infinite. Central to success is product content.

Similar to the displays they see in physical stores, shoppers care about how you display your products on these digital sales channels.

Engaging product pages and consistent product messaging are the root of building trust with shoppers. According to Salsify’s "2024 Consumer Research" report, 76% of consumers said high-quality product images were “extremely” or “very important” to their purchasing decision.

On the flip side, 56% will abandon their purchase if they don’t see customer reviews on a product page, 45% will do so if the page lacks product images, and 42% will jump ship if product descriptions are incomplete or poorly written.

On top of producing detailed, eye-grabbing product content, brands can win on the digital shelf by:

• Ensuring consistent, cohesive branding across all consumer touch points — both in-person and online.
• Using shopper data to understand and react quickly to their needs, wants, and buying trends.
• Gaining a deep understanding of the modern buyer journey, and building strong relationships with shoppers at each stage.

Winning on the digital shelf is all about centering the customer and engaging shoppers wherever they are.

The Digital Shelf vs. Ecommerce: What's the Difference?

While the digital shelf and ecommerce may sound like synonyms, there are several important differences between these two concepts.

Simply put, the difference between the digital shelf and ecommerce is the digital shelf is the place, and ecommerce is the action. The digital shelf is the entire digital ecosystem, and ecommerce is the act of buying and selling on that digital shelf.

No digital shelf, no ecommerce. 

On the other hand, while you never have to set foot in a store to buy something online, you can interact with the digital shelf when you buy something in-store. For example, nearly a quarter of shoppers (23%) research products on their phones while shopping in a physical location, according to Salsify’s research.

For example, if you buy a product on a retailer’s website, you’re buying something online. That’s ecommerce. But you could have browsed, researched, and purchased it from a dozen different digital touch points, interacting with many of them on your journey. And you could have even picked up the product in-store. That’s the digital shelf.

Why Do Brands Need the Digital Shelf?

Brands need the digital shelf because today’s and tomorrow’s consumers predominantly shop online. Twenty-nine percent of today’s shoppers prefer shopping online and 49% prefer a mix of both in-store and online shopping, according to Salsify’s research.

The COVID-19 pandemic gave the world a definitive and permanent push toward buying online. But this merely accelerated an existing shift to digital-centric shopping experiences.

Even in-store purchases are heavily influenced or even determined by your presence on the digital shelf.  If people can’t find your products when they’re searching for products online, then you may have much less chance of closing a sale — even if someone happens to be browsing in a physical store.

The Future of the Digital Shelf

The digital shelf emerged from an evolution in how people find product information and make purchases. Moving forward, shoppers will increasingly discover, research, and buy online.

The future of physical retail is deeply entwined with digital experiences and vice versa. It’s no longer the physical store vs. digital shelf vs. ecommerce. Instead, it’s rapidly becoming all of the above.

The internet, a host of other supporting technologies like mobile, and shifts in shopper behavior have transformed the physical shelf and the digital shelf into a single interconnected consumer experience.