Our lives as we knew them have changed dramatically by the second quarter of 2020. But how have things altered in the last 18 months or so?
The widespread lockdowns of last year have subsided, and restaurants, movie theatres, and gyms have reopened to a considerable extent. However, while children are still out of school, many of those in-person businesses are experiencing personnel shortages (whether by parent preference or school mandate).
Meanwhile, as you’ve certainly seen from hundreds of LinkedIn posts, many office workers are faced with the choice of returning to work while the virus remains a factor (to varied degrees across the country and the world) — or leaving their positions for a more remote-friendly company.
The situation is still fast changing, even many who call this the “post-COVID” age. Retail and ecommerce organisations, on the other hand, have begun to notice new behavioural alterations in shopping patterns, as well as which modifications from the previous year are sticking.
Trends in COVID Ecommerce
During the COVID-19 crisis, the digital economy exploded. People went to internet purchasing in greater numbers than ever before as they embraced social alienation. COVID-19 has caused 67 percent of consumers to change their shopping habits.
Retailers rose to the occasion, not only by encouraging more online purchases, but also by embracing developing technology that allowed them to engage with customers and improve their customer experience.
1. New product categories that are popular.
The second week of March 2020 saw a surge in grocery ecommerce. “The supermarket ecommerce environment in North America accelerated by three to five years in a matter of months,” noted McKinsey experts, who also gave the following data:
During the peak of the pandemic, 20-30% of company shifted online.
By the end of 2020, online grocery penetration had reached 9-12 percent.
Walmart’s digital grocery business expanded in 2021, and eMarketer predicts they’ll outsell Amazon in that category this year, thanks to the broad expansion of product categories buyers are likely to order from online merchants.
Sales of home items and fitness equipment increased as well. Expenditure on recreational goods surged by 18% due to increased spending on home gym equipment, while spending on furnishings and housekeeping equipment increased by 5.7 percent.
Will these patterns continue as the “new normal” emerges?
While supermarket ecommerce growth is anticipated to continue, with 14-18 percent penetration in the next three to five years, other analysts believe spending on home goods and fitness will slow.
2. A decrease in allegiance.
Consumer loyalty to traditional brands has waned for a variety of reasons. According to eMarketer, more over 80% of customers reported buying a different brand than usual in mid-2021, a tendency that began early in the epidemic. Lower costs (65%) and out-of-stock products are the most common explanations today (51 percent ).
3. Payment using contactless technology.
It’s unrealistic to anticipate internet transactions to completely replace all in-person purchases. That’s why, over the course of the pandemic, significant progress was achieved in various contactless payment solutions.
According to eMarketer, the number of people who used proximity mobile payments in 2020 increased by 22.2 percent year over year.
While some customers opted for digital shopping, others took advantage of new or extended pick-up or delivery options at their local stores.
Third-party delivery providers like Instacart joined with grocery stores to expedite delivery services, while food delivery companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats began to include grocery delivery as well, thanks in part to grocery stores allowing online sales.
Curbside pickup, from restaurants as well as brick-and-mortar retailers, has gained traction as a contact-free alternative for customers to pick up their purchases on their own time.
Several social networking networks took advantage of increased online retail demand by adding more commerce capabilities, allowing shoppers to browse and purchase products from participating online stores without ever leaving the platform. These platforms are often tightly connected with ecommerce systems, allowing ecommerce operators to quickly promote their products across numerous channels.
Social commerce accounted for 3.4 percent of overall ecommerce sales in 2020, and that percentage is anticipated to rise.
However, social networks are providing more opportunities than ever before to contribute to total retail sales, and it isn’t simply through on-platform shopping.
Social media channels, according to the majority of Millennials and Gen Z, are a better location to discover about new products than online search.
Consumer Behavior and Supply Chains are Still Affected by the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic’s ups and downs, as well as the ways it affects our shopping habits, are expected to persist for the foreseeable future.
Virus outbreaks in specific areas may temporarily increase the number of online orders and the requirement for home delivery. Cases may chill in different locations, enhancing in-person retail sales.
The retail sector will continue to be dominated by omnichannel and online purchasing, with a focus on worried shoppers with a reduced-contact mindset.
However, the disruptions aren’t limited to consumers. Supply has its own set of problems, owing to shifting patterns that have shifted expectations for a supply chain that isn’t equipped to adjust.
According to McKinsey, variable demand in the United States is driving shipping demand, producing port congestion – yet COVID-19 has resulted in port lockdowns, reducing shipping capacity even further.
“Trade between the APAC area and the Americas has never been more strained,” 2pml’s Web Smith said. “In many regions, the simple purpose of shopping for products and services is no longer effective. When you multiply this inefficiency by 1,000, you get the global shipping dilemma, which requires a long-term solution.”
Source: ecommerce platforms , online selling platform
