Lockdown Triggers Rise in Consumers Shopping Online
Due to the rapid growth of technology, business organizations have switched over from the traditional method of selling goods to computerized methods of marketing goods. Business organizations use the internet as the principal vehicle to conduct commercial activities.
The way we shop is changing: the future of e-retail is arising, on-demand, and more flexible.
Due to the lockdown, this kind of internet technology is the key if retailers are to survive. Nonessential businesses are being ordered to close, and customers are generally avoiding public places.
Limiting shopping for all but the essentials is becoming a new normal. Brands are having to adapt and be flexible to meet changing needs. People forced to stay at home accelerated the shift from physical retail to e-commerce.
The Covid-19 lockdown introduces a new generation of consumers to online shopping, and many retailers have to adjust their focus to take advantage of digital sales.
As people have embraced social distancing as a way to slow the spread of the pandemic, there has naturally been a drop-off in brick-and-mortar shopping; people turn to e-commerce to purchase the items they might have otherwise purchased in person.
They can purchase items from the comfort of their own homes or workplace. Companies display the whole range of products offered by them to attract customers with different tastes and needs.
Online shopping made it easier and convenient for the customer to choose from a variety of models after comparing the finish, features, and price of the products on display through the internet. Sometimes, price comparisons are also available online; and it is easy to cancel the transactions.
- Saves time and effort
- The convenience of shopping at home
- A wide variety/range of products are available
- Good discounts / lower prices
- Get detailed information about the product
- We can compare various models/brands
Meanwhile, some people regard the internet as a means of gathering more information about a product before buying it in a shop. Some people also fear that they might get addicted to online shopping.
- Delay in delivery
- Lack of significant discounts in online shops and Lack of interactivity in online shopping
- Lack of touch and feel of merchandise in online shopping (online shopping is not quite suitable for clothes, as the customers cannot try them on.)
- Frauds in online shopping, some of the e-tailers are unreliable (sometimes, there is a disappearance of the shopping site itself. In addition to the above, online payments are not much secured. So, e-marketers and retailers need to pay attention to this issue to boost the growth of e-commerce.)
- The rate of cybercrimes has been increasing, and customers’ credit card details and bank details have been misused, which raises privacy issues, customers have to be careful in revealing their personal information.
The global corona pandemic has shaken entire economies, but one industry has proven to be extremely resilient: Mobile apps.
Many industries are noticing increases in online sessions and installs during the first quarter of 2020.
As the majority of employees work remotely, business apps have seen tremendous growth in sessions (up 105% compared to Q1 2019), and installs are up by 70%. Revenue events are also up by 75%, as users are installing premium versions of the software.
Similarly, F&B apps see a spike in use, as many restaurants are forced to offer takeout food and drink only. F&B apps also saw a significant increase in sessions which were up 73% compared to the same period last year, and app installs increased by 21%.
Mobile apps, in general, are not limited to online shopping they deal with the following industries as well:
Healthcare and Telemedicine
Entertainment
Delivery Apps
Social Networking Apps
Education Apps
Is it Safe to Order Online during COVID-19?
The World Health Organization addresses the concern, by saying that it is safe to receive packages from locations with reported COVID-19 cases. From their website: “The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, traveled, and exposed to different conditions and the temperature is also low.
No matter how intimidating the coronavirus crisis, E-commerce has taken a turn downward as shelter-in-place
Now is the time to start looking for opportunities to capitalize on.
Businesses are being forced to rapidly increase their online fulfillment and respond to the digital demand that has arisen.
People feel uncomfortable in crowded markets so, E-Shopping is an advantage, as it reinforces social distancing, and saves a lot of time. Most likely they will continue to shop online also after the pandemic settles.
Originally published at https://teknologiia.com.
