The Coronavirus outbreak and Government-enforced lockdown has completely changed life as it is known in 2020. It has changed just about every area with people now having to spend most of their time at home, so it is interesting to look at how shopping habits have changed since the lockdown started back in March.
Surge in Online Shopping
As you would expect, online shopping is on the rise as people are no longer able to shop in non-essential stores. This means that people are buying all of their non-essential items online, plus grocery stores and other essential businesses have ramped up their online operations so that people can get these without leaving the house. The online grocery market is forecast to grow a staggering 25.5% in 2020, which is a huge increase on the predicted 8.5% predicted before the lockdown.
Statistics also showed that 60% of consumers have purchased more goods than normal since the lockdown and 53% have shopped more online. Additionally, a further 77% stated that they expect to continue to purchase more online once the lockdown has ended. This is clearly troubling news for retailers and the Coronavirus could have a lasting impact on the industry and make it hard for physical stores to survive with many high profile closures in recent weeks.
Trouble for the High Street
Life was challenging for retail stores prior to the lockdown as online shopping continued to rise, but this has now been accelerated by the Coronavirus and people are now buying items online which they would normally buy in-store. Additionally, people will not feel confident going into a store until a vaccine has been found, plus the economic impact of the pandemic could stop people from buying as much so there are a number of issues that the Coronavirus has created for high street shopping.
Attracting People In-Store
There are some that are confident that physical sales can rise after the lockdown as people will miss the high street shopping experience and enjoy being able to leave the house, as well as wanting to support local businesses. If this is to be the case, stores will need to take steps to make customers feel safe until the issue is fully resolved. Additionally, businesses will need to provide excellent customer service with staff expertise and an enjoyable customer experience.
Going Online
Additionally, these businesses are going to have to offer online sales if they are going to succeed. This should involve using a courier comparison website like Parcel2Go so that you can find the best and most affordable delivery to run an efficient online operation.
The lockdown has certainly changed consumer habits and this is likely to last after the lockdown has ended. While it is worrying for physical stores, there are steps that can be taken and the successful businesses are always the ones that are able to adapt.