After a long pause, retail stores around the country have started to open. However, customers are a tad bit reluctant to step into a retail store today, which was not the case a few months ago. Well, it is just the impact of COVID – 19, which we are likely to see for years to come. The pandemic has changed the retail world permanently. Here’s what our observations are about retail in the post-COVID world.
1. Boon for e-commerce. Corona pandemic is going to be a boon for the e-commerce industry, as most consumers have started to make online shopping part of their regular routines. Retailers are now putting a greater emphasis on online and mobile ordering and are working to create more intuitive user experiences. However, many customers prefer to go to the store to make a purchase. In such a situation, retailers will have to balance the e-commerce experience with in-store offerings so that a consistent approach can be created across all channels.
2. Increase In Curbside Orders. The COVID – 19 has resulted in increased growth of curbside orders. It is, becoming an increasingly popular option to drive business growth. It is one of the effective ways to prevent oneself from getting infected. The concept is really simple and workable: a customer calls in an order, drives to the restaurant, parks outside, and a runner brings the food to the car. That’s it! It guarantees both the safety and convenience of the customers. Many stores have already established curbside pickup procedures.
3. More Compassionate Marketing. Companies have now started to switch to more compassionate marketing strategies from straight selling. They are now focusing on more altruistic ads, rather than pushing products to their customers. All this is to build emotional connections with their customers.
Well, these are some of our observations, and we firmly believe that the situation will be under control very soon.