Online shopping is disrupting the traditional retail landscape. I believe Goodman Group (ASX: GMG), Amcor PLC (ASX: AMC) and Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) provide important services to deliver physical products to customers through the supply of packaging and warehouses, enabling them to capitalise on the online boom.
According to an Australia Post 2019 e-commerce industry report, 2018 saw the number of online purchases grow by more than 13% year on year in every state and territory, with the national average growing over 20%.
This explosive growth means there is great opportunity for the 3 ASX shares below.
Goodman Group
Goodman Group owns, develops and manages industrial real estate around the globe. It is also the largest REIT (real estate investment trust) in Australia. The Goodman Group share price has soared by more than 29% in the past 12 months and I think there are still plenty more gains to come because of online retail.
Just last week the group announced in its half year FY19 results a 14.1% lift in operating profit and a 12.9% increase in operating earnings per share. Pleasingly, the group also upgraded its forecast for FY20 to 57.3 cents per security up 11% on FY19.
In the outlook, Greg Goodman said "The deliberate concentration of assets in urban logistics locations is delivering high quality properties for our customers and strong returns for the Group and our Partners."
Goodman has well-known clients in Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) just to name a couple. The warehouses Goodman supplies to Amazon and Coles are an important asset for these companies to store products, ready to be distributed to customers as the orders come in.
Another positive is Goodman's international presence, which enables the group to withstand specific geographic shocks such as a downturn in the Australian economy.
Amcor PLC
The Amcor share price has delivered a 2.33% return in the past 12 months, and I believe this packaging stock can capitalise on the growth potential of the online shopping boom.
In its Form 8K filing released to the market on 12 February, Amcor CEO Ron Delia stated "Amcor delivered a good first half result and our outlook for fiscal 2020 adjusted EPS growth has improved to 7–10%".
To benefit from the rise of online shopping, Amcor is working with suppliers to deliver the packaging they need. For example, delicate items need to be placed in a package that will help protect the product from damage when it is being shipped.
Qube Holdings
The Qube share price has risen 18.88% in the past 12 months and I believe it should benefit from the online boom as an integrated provider of import and export logistics services.
Online retail has made it easier for consumers to purchase goods online from anywhere in the world. In the company's FY19 annual report, the group stated that it has seen increased tenant interest in leasing warehouse facilities.
I think the group's capabilities in ports, bulk, logistics and infrastructure and property provides diversification in a range of different economic climates. This exposure should help Qube deliver reliable growth for their shareholders now and in the long term.
Foolish takeaway
Warehouses and packaging are key components of online shopping, and I believe investors may be rewarded well by investing in these stocks.
This may have an impact on brick-and-mortar retailers over the long term as the rising popularity of online shopping continues.
