Category: COVID-19

The lockdown period gave a major spin-off to consumer behavior such that online ordering became an overnight habit. But the question is, will it be just a pandemic hangover or a forever manner?

An invisible virus brought a complete halt to all our lives. From washing hands thoroughly, wearing masks, social distancing and now vaccines, we may be able to speed up the recovery from the damage this pandemic has caused. However, the end is distant and uncertain. The deadly pandemic impacted all areas of our life and we could see new behaviors emerging in work, learning, communication, lifestyle, travel, health, entertainment, and the drastic one – shopping.

The moment the pandemic stepped into our lives, from businesses to consumers, all have taken refuge in the world wide web. Online selling and buying started becoming the new normal, in fact, the only mode of survival during the pandemic. Only those already online or businesses that re-evaluated their development strategies and invested in a smart eCommerce solution saved its face from the fall and rose stronger. So, what happened?

Well, eCommerce was here for many years but pre-COVID-19 the majority of the people refrained from purchasing online due to lack of trust, fear of fraud, and not being able to buy products at a good bargain. Preference for perishable/essential items and items with a big price tag, online, was also less. Hence, businesses relied on footfalls to check their growth and test the effectiveness of their marketing strategies. Online traffic was never considered as a measure of their success. Not long ago, a face-to-face meeting was considered inevitable to finalize a deal or maintain trust in clients. However, COVID-19 changed all that overnight.

Also Read: 7 Steps to Prepare Your Ecommerce Business for Continuity and Unexpected Future Post-COVID-19

The Behavioral Change: Temporary or Permanent?

The outbreak of online ordering that happened during the lockdown appears to soon become a permanent thing looking at the way the consumer preferences are changing due to:

Digital penetration: With the ease and availability of smartphones and cheap 4G network, online ordering started becoming more convenient than shopping offline, risking life among the crowd. The way digitalization has enabled consumers from distant places to order their necessities at their doorstep during such unprecedented times has helped build trust and loyalty in online shopping.

The COVID-19 fear: The fear of getting COVID-19 has not ended yet which is a good thing as it is one of the best measures to curb the spread of the pandemic. The more the fear, the less will people come in contact. Thus, it is the fear that caused the paradigm shift in consumer behaviour as people began shopping online more than going out. Although everything is back on track, a majority of consumers still prefer shopping online which may follow in the coming years too.

A Note for Retailers

With the emergence of new world order, i.e., consumers ordering online, retailers need to make a few changes in their way of business to survive and sail through the pandemic and the future ahead like:

• For starters, offline retailers must approach an eCommerce solution provider right away and develop their online presence to safeguard their futures.
• Embracing an omnichannel ecosystem and merging their online and offline operations would bring more benefits than they can imagine.
• Retailers already having an online presence must along with their eCommerce mobile app development company, revamp their eCommerce solution with innovative and latest ways in terms of features, content, appearance etc., to keep customers hooked to their store.
• A boost in social media presence would cause no harm as customers are always hanging out there, and reaching out to them where they are, is a chance no retailer must miss.
• With growing online competition, it is important to maintain the store visibility, and hence; retailers must focus on capitalizing on their existing customer data to drive traffic to their online store.
• Multiple payment options, easy navigation, simple checkout process, order tracking, personalization, all these features are what customers are looking for in any online business solution, therefore; ensure you have it all covered while getting your mobile commerce solutions developed at the hands of an experienced mcommerce app builder.

In A Nutshell, COVID-19 Brought with Itself Winds of Change

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a new world order, changing the course of workflow and creating space for more creative innovations, digitally. So, if you are looking to reclaim your business, we at Mobicommerce are here to help you. Power your online store digitally today for greater reach and accessibility in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is rightly said that one must prepare for the worst and we are not sure that the pandemic which is hovering upon is the worst or something bigger is yet to come hence; a business plan is a must to survive even the toughest times.

Like the coronavirus outbreak, disasters can happen anytime, they are difficult to predict and have the potential to cause damage that may take years to recover too. Therefore, to sail through such situations, as a business owner, it is necessary to have a business continuity plan designed keeping in mind such disasters to keep your sales going and stay prepared for exceptionany kind of future risks and eCommerce business is no.

Also Read: Consumer Behaviour After COVID-19: Will eCommerce Demand Remain the Same?

With restrictions and lockdowns lifted and businesses resuming back to operation, now is the time to rethink about your business strategies and prepare for the worst, yes, something worse than the current pandemic can happen anytime and, there are some strategic steps you can take to recover business and revenue streams if anything happens about which we are going to elaborate. But first, let’s understand what a business continuity plan.

Business Continuity Plan

Unlike offline businesses, although eCommerce didn’t experience a complete fallout during the pandemic, it still needs a business plan to survive any kind of uncertain and challenging times. A business continuity plan is nothing but a framework which identifies potential external and internal threats that can threaten the company and outline protocols and procedures that ensure the continued functionality of the business  — or restore them as quickly as possible — in the event of a major disaster, whether it be Meteorological (tornados, hurricanes, flooding, wildfire), Geological (earthquake, tsunami, volcano, landslide), Biological (infestation, pandemic), or Human Factors (accidental, intentional).

Business continuity planning isn’t just an extra effort, it is, in fact, a must-have for all small, medium, and large-scale enterprises to act instantly, smartly, and efficiently in times of emergencies and minimize the negative impacts like financial loss, loss of consumer (and team member), confidence, and brand reputation etc. when any disaster strikes. A BCP covers all aspects of the business, including human resources, infrastructure, technology, contracts, and communication and hence is something you must not avoid if you want a safe future for your business. Now, let’s see what steps you can take to prepare for the uncertain future ahead.

1. Map out objectives and goals

To keep your eCommerce business running you need to rethink about everything from business functions, human resources, operations, public relations, to technologies since the COVID-19 infection has changed everything around us. Identify your goals and objectives as they will guide your risk assessment, the business continuity planning process, business impact analysis, and potential recovery strategies. Keep improvising and reviewing your plans according to the changing circumstances and have a backup plan ready to face any crisis.

2. Coordination is key

Running a multivendor eCommerce marketplace solution means you might be having employees working from home or warehouses, customer support team, stakeholders, vendors etc. with whom communication and coordination are crucial for your business to run smoothly. Therefore, you must leverage technology to stay connected and coordinate with all. Make use of online conferencing apps such as Zoom, Skype, and Slack, especially during the present situation, to ensure coordination and productivity is maintained.

3. Set up an emergency team

Too many cooks spoil the broth, you might have heard this proverb which means that instead of too many people getting involved in handling any emergency and creating chaos, establish a dedicated emergency team for your business. Assemble a few cross-functional managers or leaders, and train the necessary staff to keep things moving forward and make decisions when necessary.

4. Make a list of essential eCommerce business functions

As experienced during the lockdown, eCommerce platforms were temporarily restricted from selling any kind of non-essential items due to which online business of fashion, beauty products, etc. faced a tremendous loss. Therefore, it is important to contact marketplace solution provider to figure out how you can maintain the sale of essential services/functions in the event of an emergency. By essential we mean your:

Inventory management and supply continuity – as during a crisis people tend to buy and stock products hence your inventory must survive to serve them.

Order fulfilment and shipping deadlines – as meeting customer orders during any unfortunate event are not easy. There might be some issues like shipping delays which are out of your hand. But you can prepare an alternative option to keep up your delivery even during the crisis.

Ecommerce platform functionality – as people will rush to online shopping more when it becomes dangerous to go outside and hence; your online store must be able to function smoothly and should be updated as well. Like it must be able to handle heavy traffic, display out of stock products, have strong cybersecurity, etc.

Customer service – as customers are prone to panic during a crisis, and they may need you anytime to know about the products and delivery of their orders. Prepare your customer support team specifically to handle customers during such situations.

5. Be flexible in your strategy

Remember that when crisis strikes you may have to change your approach and adapt according to the circumstances and therefore you must design your strategies such that they are flexible. Like you may have to add up essential items for sale if needed during the emergencies, adapt to customer behaviour changes, deliver as per the situation of location, etc.

6. Innovate with time

You must innovate or deliver according to the scenario and demands. For example, if you are simply an online fashion store owner, you must include the sale of masks which are much needed in the present times. Likewise, whatever emergency arises, you must try to innovate or include products that are necessary for that particular crisis in order to help customers as well as for your business continuity.

7. Make your communication strong

Running a multi-vendor marketplace solution means you have customers, employees, suppliers, creditors & investors, and government and regulators to communicate with, which means during a crisis your communication with all has to be clear, transparent, and timely. So, invest in technologies or update your software so that your communication does not get affected during any unfortunate event.

Conclusion

Consider the COVID-19 pandemic as a lesson and take this time to make necessary changes, update your business operations in response to the shift in customer behaviour. In addition, compel features in your store that customer expect with the help of marketplace development companylike mobicommerceto keep your business standing and surviving during the hardships.

COVID-19 has painted a completely new picture around the world. Nothing is like before, neither our lifestyle habits, economy, nor the consumer behaviour and their way of shopping. Let’s see the scenario of UAE and the current status of eCommerce there.

Digitalization in UAE

UAE or Emirates, with its 9.5 million inhabitants, occupies the second position in the Middle East in terms of the internet penetration rate, estimated at around 90%, one of the highest in the world. It even has the highest smartphone penetration in the world about 81%, and 82% of the total population are active mobile internet users which have led to the rise of online shopping. In fact, the UAE is becoming the fastest growing e-commerce market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region because of the millennials, both local and expatriate who are among the most digitally connected and the most active online buyers in the world. All these stats speak of how UAE is digitally forward compared to other countries.

Ecommerce in UAE: Before and After the Emergence of COVID-19

eCommerce in UAE is growing exponentially ever since it set its foot in the MENA market. At present, e-commerce accounts for 4.2% of the retail revenue in the UAE but is expected to grow by an average of 23%2 by 2022. Amazon’s acquisition of Souq.com and the launch of Noon.com by Emaar Group in 2017 shows Emirates’ serious interest in eCommerce.

If you ask why eCommerce is soaring in Emirates then the reasons are many:

• High internet penetration
• Quick digital adoption by the Millenials
• A large number of tech-savvy Gen Z
• Improved infrastructure
• Successful adoption and support for e-payment platforms
• High investment potential
• Trust in eCommerce and digital payments
• High spending potential due to high per capita income
• Better warehousing facilities
• Increase in consumer demand for e-commerce services
• Market barrier easing
• Full support of government for entrepreneurial initiatives
• Ease of obtaining eCommerce license
• Increased convergence between online and offline channels

Today, with the emergence of COVID-19 around the world, there is no doubt how much the business sector has been affected. The brick and mortar retailers are finding it hard to survive but even many online retailers are suffering from its consequences too. Well, the UAE market is no different but eCommerce during the pandemic saw a sudden rise in the MENA region.

UAE – where the retail sector relies heavily on tourists, COVID-19 and global lockdown posed a grave danger of revenue generation for MENA due to restrictions of movement around the world. But the UAE government had no plans to give up and encouraged eCommerce full-fledged amidst the pandemic. The highest number of business licences about 196 were issued to the e-commerce retail business sector in the UAE itself during May 2020 alone which made the UAE more successful than 30 other economies during the COVID crisis. Moreover, the eCommerce platform saw a 20 % month-on-month jump in shipments delivered from March up till now, and about 300% of the rise in consumer demand was recorded in the first five months of 2020. Overall, there was a rise of 49% in online shopping during the coronavirus outbreak and the need for an eCommerce development company UAE increased suddenly with the offline retailers jumping to online platforms to survive the pandemic.

Also Read: Why Middle East Entrepreneurs Must Make Their Appearance in the eCommerce Market?

Who all are eyeing the UAE eCommerce?

COVID-19 and the implications of the lockdowns have not just fast-tracked the adoption of eCommerce by UAE residents but, have also triggered various brands and entrepreneurs to invest in the UAE market, like how Amazon launched its AWS Data Center in Bahrain as part of its market expansion and CarrefourNow, traditionally a single play supermarket who successfully developed a strong omnichannel e-commerce platform challenging those regional players. Other than that, some of the major e-commerce players in the UAE right now are Careem Eats (previously Uber Eats), Namshi, Mumzworld, eBay, Awok etc.

The changing consumer behaviour in the UAE

The UAE consumers are big spenders and are extremely loyal to their favourite brands. They happily spend around 30% of their salary, or £1,450 a month, on luxury goods. Also, as per the stats, the female Emirati citizens spend 43% of their income on fashion and beauty products. Their luxury mindset also has high expectations from an online business like – excellent customer experience, personalised service, exclusive rewards and benefits etc. Moreover, the UAE has the most multi-culture residents across the Gulf countries as only 19% of the population is Emirati and the rest are the immigrants from different corners of the world. Hence, eCommerce acceptance happened largely and quickly in the UAE.

Earlier, shopping malls dominated the retail landscape because they were an all-in-one package – global products, entertainment, a social experience, and – just as important – air conditioning. Today, due to coronavirus, since it has become necessary to avoid socializing and crowded places, the Middle East consumers are taking a pivotal shift to eCommerce than shopping offline. The searches for “groceries”, “online courses”, “telecommuting” and “Ikea” were seen a sudden surge than luxury products during the lockdown which shows more and more millennials are preferring online shopping and therefore for anyone thinking about starting an eCommerce in the UAE right now can prove to be a good decision.

Don’t miss: The adaptation and evolution of e-commerce in the Middle East during the COVID-19 period

Conclusion

eCommerce is still at a growing stage in the UAE as the residents are habituated to offline shopping, but, due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the scenario has changed. eCommerce sales witnessed a sudden surge in between March and May during which applications for eCommerce licence too increased like never before. Therefore, if you planning to step into the UAE market with your eCommerce solution, the first thing you need to do is to approach an ecommerce development company in Dubai who can help you develop your solution with features that support the localization of the Middle East region like multilingual functionality, RTL functionalities, multi-currency feature, elastic search, inventory management, etc.

Coronavirus, the name we have been hearing since the start of the year 2020 till today has turned our lives upside down bringing downfall in every manner be it the health, social life, economy, or livelihood of all. But, amidst the lockdown and restrictions, one thing that outshined and turned into a rescuer was the eCommerce business. Unfortunately, the impact of Coronavirus was so strong that even eCommerce underwent some disruptions which we are going to discuss today.

E-commerce has been seeing new entrants, constant growth since the start and has amounted to worldwide sales over 3.50 trillion US dollars alone in 2019.  But, with the emergence of Novel Coronavirus in 2020, the booming e-Commerce industry was put to test with disruptions in the supply chain and changing consumer behaviour.  However, despite all these challenges, e-commerce sales are rising but with a twist. Only a specific section of the e-Commerce market is in demand whereas others are seeing the downhill. Why so? Let’s peek into the details.

The year 2020 has been great for industries like pharma and eCommerce but it has been challenging for other industries like fashion, tourism, automobile, electronics, etc. which have seen layoffs, pay cuts and even closures of their retail stores. The account of the sales percentage of the pharma industry is more than the combined sales of all other industries put together.

Sales figures of E-Commerce giant Amazon which delivers A to Z products to the customers’ doorstep is expected to reach $416.48 billion which is about $12 billion more than the pre-COVID estimates. At the same time, the travel industry saw a whopping 35 percent crash in the estimated sales of 2020.

So, what does e-Commerce have in store for the future? We have tried to map the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on e-commerce from all angles in this article for your understanding.

The Good Effects on eCommerce 

Sale of hygiene products spiced up

The sale of hygiene products like masks, sanitizers, gloves, etc. have never seen a demand before like now which almost every eCommerce businesses have started selling them in their store. The COVID-19 scare has got people so much that people are looking for hygiene products more than anything else, in fact, some are even bulk buying them for the future.

Sudden surge for daily essentials and medicines

The need to avoid crowded stores has made people turn to online shopping for their daily essentials. Due to the fear of lockdown, panic-buying, and other restrictions, groceries are being highly stocked up fearing scarcity while medicines are being ordered in bulk amounts. Shoppers are spending more than usual on these items as they don’t want to run short of any supplies if at all lockdowns in their cities get extended. Other than groceries and medicines, household disinfectant products, perishable food items and home entertainment products like books, videos and board games also witnessed a huge demand.

Walmart is going to introduce Walmart+ as a competition to Amazon prime with yearly subscription plans that will give members great discounts, free deliveries and early access to promotional deals.

Recommended Blog: COVID-19 Effects: Time to Switch to Grocery eCommerce from Offline Grocery Business?

Fitness freaks go shopping spree

Gyms, swimming pools and other fitness centres are still shut in most of the countries as the possible scare of coronavirus widespread is keeping fitness conscious people at home but it is not stopping them from working out at home. The online sale of fitness equipment has shot up during the lockdown periods.

French sporting goods retailer Decathlon has seen a 220% growth on cycles, yoga mats, dumbbell kits and push-up bars. Nike saw an abrupt demand for its sneakers and other fitness accessories on its digital platform in the first and second quarter of 2020.  Although they have laid off many employees and shut many stores across the world due to government restrictions, they are now planning to invest in technology to better understand and target customers online and improve the online user experiences on their website.

The Bad Effects on eCommerce

Disruptions in supply chain and covering up losses

A lot of dependency for global trade was built on China over the years for being the primary producer of the supply chain for various industries. Small components of electronic items like mobile phones, TV, refrigerators and many other products were vastly imported from China and then assembled in the home country. With the operations of the manufacturing units in Wuhan coming to halt for nearly 2 quarters and China’s increasing political tensions with other countries, the world is facing a major scarcity in the supply chain.

Initially, brands gave huge discounts to continue customer traffic to their website but situations now have changed. In order to cover up the losses made during the first quarter; brands are increasing the prices of products to unreasonably high levels.  These factors are leading to less demand for non-essential items in the market.

Unpredictable consumer behaviour

COVID-19 pandemic has made consumers cautious. With the future being so foggy and the hope for a vaccine being uncertain, consumers are hesitant to spend anything more than essentials. Surprisingly, the definition of essentials has changed overnight with the onset of COVID-19 virus. According to a UK based market research firm, Kantar, sales of hand sanitisers saw an increase of more than 250 percent as compared to last year. Who would have thought that a product like a hand sanitiser would be the biggest selling item online?

McKinsey & Company have reported that due to falling in incomes, consumers are sticking to only essentials while the sale of fashion and apparels which was on the top game till last year has taken a backseat on consumer’s shopping list. This is because consumers aren’t very optimistic about their country’s dripping economy and its recovery.  There has been a shift from extravagant shopping to mindful shopping in consumers.

Product Safety concerns, deceptive practices, and cybersecurity concerns.

Most people are preferring shopping online as compared to visiting retail stores during the pandemic. However, safety protocols while delivering the product still is a major concern for many cautious consumers. People fear that the virus can enter their house through parcels as it has been exchanged by many hands before it reaches their doorstep and the delivery person has also visited many houses before he comes to theirs.

Cybercrimes have increased with scammers feasting on people’s vulnerability through fake emails and apps which gives them full access to the phone’s camera, location and photos. Such deceptive malpractices refrain people from using online payment portals as they don’t want to lose their hard-earned money during such uncertain times.

Promising Days Ahead for E-Commerce

eCommerce sure was a knight in the shining armour during the pandemic and hence, the popularity of eCommerce is only going to increase further in the coming days. Since it will take much longer for people to switch back to offline shopping, there are some moves eCommerce business owners can apply to keep going now and in the future ahead without any drop in sales, like remaining in constant touch with your customers by sending them Push Notifications, SMS, and emails reminding them how much you care for them, getting regular updates from your suppliers, getting a mobile commerce app solution developed to reach out to a wide number of customers, implementing contactless delivery, etc.

Final Thoughts

Companies that display resilience during testing times are the ones which survive. The threat is for those brands who don’t adapt quickly. Darwin’s theory of adaptation has always proven itself to be true when humankind is faced by unprecedented scenarios, where responding to change is the only option to survive.

Companies are closing their stores and investing money on mobile commerce app solutions to make shopping a delightful adventure for the customers which so far was just a basic app without a WOW experience.

So, if you are ready to give your retail store the much-required shift to go online and don’t want to be out of the race or are looking for a makeover of your age-old app then seek none but the best mcommerce app builder in town – MobiCommerce.

While the world thinks North America is one of the biggest internet consuming countries in the world, the statistics suggest something really different! Statistics suggest that back in 2018, while North America had 121 million internet users; the Middle East had 164 million internet users. Even the internet penetration rate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was skyrocketing 91% and that of Saudi Arabia is 73%. (Source)

These statistics represent a high number of users even though they were recorded in the pre-pandemic world! Since the time the pandemic has hit the world, internet usage and dependency on smartphones and e-commerce solutions. So much so that in the reports of Adobe it was found that since the lockdown that started in March, the e-commerce expenditure of the Middle East exceeded by $52 Billion than that of the expected sales! And even as the world adapts to the new normal, e-commerce sales are still on a rise in the Middle East.

But, if you are planning to start your e-commerce platform, you must understand that conventional methods of e-commerce industry have changed a lot after COVID 19 and there has been a huge paradigm shift in how the e-commerce platforms function. To help you make an informed decision, as one of the trusted e-commerce service providers in the Middle East, we bring you the things you must know before investing in an e-commerce platform to make an informed decision.

E-commerce paradigm shift in the Middle East due to Covid-19:

Increase in Groceries and Essentials demand:

One of the biggest gaining industries of COVID-19 in the Middle East has been the groceries and essentials industry. People who had their custom e-commerce solutions ready saw a growth of at least 200%! While in the pre-pandemic world the demand and need of e-commerce solutions for groceries and essentials such as dairy products and vegetables were quite less, due to the lockdown and social distancing norms, the demand for online groceries and essentials have skyrocketed.

If you are planning to venture into this industry, ensure that you understand your target audience well and based on that, choose an ecommerce web development company of the Middle East who has the required technical skills as well as the market and customer understanding.

Need for faster and customized e-commerce solutions:

Since the demand for e-commerce has increased in the Middle East, so has the number of e-commerce platforms and e-commerce spending from the enterprises! Since e-commerce is the future of the retail market, enterprises are investing heavily in e-commerce development and are rooting for personalized and customized e-commerce solutions to deliver satisfactory and delightful customer experiences to ensure that their e-commerce platform stays on top of the mind of their customers when they search for their desired products online.

Having a customized e-commerce solution also is beneficial in the long-term for businesses. Instead of choosing a standard e-commerce platform where the business operations have to be amended according to the rules and protocols of the platform, you can get a customized e-commerce platform that not only aligns with your business operations but also matches your customer expectations.

Also Read: Prepare your e-commerce for “the New Normal” of the Post Pandemic World

Contactless sales and hygienic packaging and deliveries:

One of the biggest changes that have been witnessed in the e-commerce industry since the arrival of this pandemic is the change in deliveries and product packaging. To ensure the safety of the delivery personnel as well as the safety of the customers, enterprises are coming up with unique ways of safe deliveries such as contactless deliveries.

Apart from that, many enterprises have introduced automation into the process of packaging and production so that they can create a hygienic environment where the products are packed and produced in utmost safety. While contactless deliveries might not continue once the world manages to rise from this pandemic, digital transformation and automation of processes will surely become a need if not a compulsion for various manufacturers as well as few service industries.

Need for personalized digital experiences:

Even before the pandemic had hit the world, all those enterprises who wished to make big in the online world had to adapt to the personalization. Right from product personalization to personalized digital experiences, customers not only enjoy but expect personalization from the e-commerce platform and some research also shows that customers don’t mind sharing data if the e-commerce platform is using it to create personalized buying experiences for them

While product personalization is dependent upon the nature of the product and the industry you belong to, personalized digital experiences can be introduced in all the e-commerce platforms. Based on the customer insights and data that you have collected, you can ask your e-commerce developers to introduce personalization at each stage of the buying process by making necessary customization in your e-commerce platform and by introducing automation.

E-commerce is the future of the retail market not just in the Middle East but around the world. But, to ensure that your e-commerce platform is an asset for your enterprise, it is essential that you hire an eCommerce solution provider in the Middle East that has the market understanding as well as apt knowledge of the ever-evolving e-commerce trends. For now, if you wish to make the most of the e-commerce platform during the COVID-19 period, plan for a customized e-commerce solution and also think upon personalization and delivery methods.

Who would have thought that 2020 will be the year of survival? That besides welcoming the new year we are also greeting the disaster of the year – the Covid-19 pandemic which will change our personal and professional lives forever. While businesses are badly hit, the fashion and apparel industry which fall under the non-essential category, which has never been so radically affected at least in the past century, are now finding ways to survive. Can you believe that?

However, as history has taught us to look for opportunities during crises, understanding the changing consumer behaviour during the lockdown will breed new radical business ideas to start amidst COVID-19 which we are going to give you a glimpse and also explain how you can re-strategize your fashion and apparel brand to ensure business continuity during and post-Covid.

1. The colossal shift to the online market

Consumer behaviour and preferences have been changing frequently ever since the start of people being confined to their homes. Nobody knows what the future has in store for the world but it is always fair to make predictions based on ongoing trends.

Mobile phone usage has increased by more than 70 % worldwide. Online shopping for clothes increased an average of 25% in the first month of lockdown itself. These figures have only kept increasing since then and will continue to do so until a vaccine is available and people slowly come out of the paranoia.

An American study in the month of April found out that more than 24% of consumers will prefer shopping online for the next 6 months as they do not want to take chances of getting infected in crowded malls. These trends are indicating that all fashion and apparel businesses must fast-track their decision to venture into the online market and optimize the opportunity this online breeze has brought in.

2. The trend to go local and sustainable

Empathy has emerged as a key human emotion during the lockdown. The need for supporting the local craftsmen and women who have been severely affected in the lockdown has been seen in many consumers. The world has also seen how the pollution levels dropped drastically during the lockdown; hence consumers are seen opting for a more sustainable way of clothing. Preference for handloom and handicrafts have been observed by designers in the world of fashion.

3. Avoiding enormously priced and luxury products

As increments and promotions are getting nailed down, the upper and lower-middle-class segment of consumers is being cautious of buying extravagantly priced luxury products. Many people have lost their jobs or have faced pay-cuts in their salaries which is compelling people to buy only the daily necessity items. Non-essential products like apparels are bought only if they are cheap or have major discounts.

Fashion brands have to take into consideration what the majority of the consumers are looking for. Inclusion of safety essentials like masks, sanitizers and gloves if promoted on their homepage can bring traffic to the website leading to the sale of their primary products too.

4. Looking for connecting with purposeful brands

A future Consumer Index shows that 62% of cautiously extravagant consumers would like to purchase from those brands who are associated with a cause of reconstructing society. A caring and a sensitive brand that does not put profit above everything are more likely to attract customer traffic on their website.

Amazon has chosen to market its brand with a tagline “Enabling Local to Go Global”. They have emphasized on creating opportunities for MSMEs to export their products globally. This is a perfect example of a change in the marketing strategies where brands are marketing the cause they support, not the product.

5. Seeking for an exciting buying experience

The internet is full of Covid-19 topics, therefore, customers are seeking distractions and getting attracted to optimistic marketing. A lot of energy and focus is being put on enhancing consumer buying experience online. Fashion giant Myntra gives tips on size and body shapes. A detailed size chart is presented to the customer to help them choose the perfectly fitting apparel. This inclusion has reduced their return numbers drastically.

Recommended Blog: Compelling Features Customers Expect in e-Commerce Mobile Apps amid COVID-19

The use of AI technology is yet another innovative way that is changing the online fashion shopping experience. From styling the look to virtually trying outfits, Artificial Intelligence is shaping the future of fashion. In fact, many international brands are now allowing multiple views of each product from different angles since the customers can’t take a look in person due to the social distancing practices. Thus, zooming in on a high-quality picture feature is enabling customers to view the intricacies of the products’ needlepoint work. For example, Rollie Nation has included dioramas of their shoes on their homepage along with a short video of a model walking in them.

6. Opting for online payment modes

Indians have always been comfortable with cash transactions even after the Digital India campaign started. The gigantic shift towards online payment started in India post-Covid only, due to fear of coming in contact with innumerable currency notes which have been exchanged by many hands. Many major online delivery vendors have removed the Cash On Delivery (COD) option from their payment page in order to curb community transfer of the Covid-19 virus due to which digital wallets and UPI payment options, along with the traditional credit & debit cards payment options have seen a soar in consumer usage which is necessary today and for the future ahead.

7. Hygiene as a customer attracter 

Health and hygiene have become very important for the majority of people. Consumers trust those brands who put hygiene and safety protocols as their top-most priority. Most major brands have started showing hygiene page on their website which explains what regulations they follow to ensure staff safety and safe packaging. No-Contact delivery option is the new feature added on most of the vendors delivery options page which is the best way to keep the bond of trust intact with your customers.

One thing to always keep in mind is that online platforms must be used not just for commercial purposes but also to engage and interact with your customers so that they keep coming back to you, and Covid-19 has made us realise that very well when people began to migrate at large towards the online market.

Wrapping up

Yes, it is difficult to reach out to consumers who are still paranoid about coming to your fashion brand store but it is not impossible either. The only way to survive the Covid-19 pandemic is to make your brand omnipresent by offering a digital presence along with the physical outlets that please and serve customers in the best and safest way as possible.

Since the future of brick and mortar shops is very vague given the current situation outside the safety of your homes, making your brand digital is the need of the hour. So, if you are still struggling to find a good fashion ecommerce mobile app builder, seeking the help of the top-notch Magento multivendor ecommerce app development company  like Mobicommerce can be your knight in shining armour to help you go digital.

We are almost at the second half of the year 2020, and still, there is no sign of the end of the deadly global pandemic, COVID-19. Since we have no surety about when the world will be free from it, moving on is the only option left and which is why people are accepting the new-normal and looking for online business ideas to kick start amidst COVID-19 crisis.

Till today, though eCommerce and online marketplaces are in demand, a majority of them remained loyal to offline business and shopping until Coronavirus made its entrance into our lives. With the fear of the spread it bought along, social distancing has now a part of our life and online business and shopping seem to be the safest way for people which have given a sudden surge to it in the past few months.

The closure of offline shops, lockdown, restrictions, all these highlighted the importance of online business which raised a massive demand in the market when people rushed to get essential products like crazy. People’s panic buying stirred the growth of on-demand apps so much that now many are seeing a major gain in revenue and profit that they never imagined via them and hence are taking interesting in developing one about which we are going to explain you in detail.

What is an On-Demand Multi-niche Delivery App?

Not just because of the pandemic but the conveniences and comfort that these on-demand multi-niche delivery apps bring about is enough to understand why it is getting all the attention. They refer to the mobility solutions that comprises of a collection of services that users can get access to across the business world in real-time at their doorstep or physical location.

In short, the customers on-demand requirement of food delivery, laundry, grocery, rentals services, beauty services, ATM services, and more are met via one single app at their disposal.

How is an On-demand Marketplace Solution Rising to Success? 

in the fast-moving world, people find it time-consuming to navigate between apps and track their orders simultaneously, there, on-demand multi-niche delivery apps are turning out to be the saviour as they are providing multi-niche deliveries in a single app. Apart from that, there are several reasons why it witnessed a surge in this pandemic season which may continue due to the following benefits users are getting from it.

1. Contactless payment and deliveries

The scare of the spread of COVID-19 from the physical exchange of money and products is promoting zero contact options in both which people love it. With multiple digital payment options that prevent people from rushing to ATMs to take money out and with contactless deliveries where the delivery executive leaves the parcel at the doorstep which the customers can pick it up a few minutes later, the on-demand multi-niche delivery apps are thus helping in breaking the transmission chain of the disease via human contact.

2. Instant service

It is justifying its name with successfully delivering services very quickly compared with other apps. People began to find it easy and convenient to get all their basic needs and services from one place that too at an instant from on-demand marketplace solution than exploring a number of apps and then waiting for each to get delivered on different days and time.

3. A growth opportunity for local business

We all know very well how social distancing and lockdowns are affecting local offline businesses. Their sales are dipping badly with lack of customers, forcing some to shut down permanently. But, an on-demand marketplace solution can pull them out of it as it comes with a growth opportunity for local business. By connecting with businesses in a particular locality and facilitating deliveries for them, an on-demand multi-niche delivery app can ensure that their and the revenue of local vendors is kept steadily growing. In addition to that, an on-demand marketplace solution saves one from the cost involved in warehousing and supply chain management because most of the job is about picking it up from a local vendor and delivering it to a local address.

In a nutshell, 

On-demand doorstep deliveries are the need of the hour and a quarantined lifestyle has taught people a lot and has become a way of life. Therefore, to meet the demands of customers while adhering to social distancing, developing a multi-niche delivery app during the pandemic is the right time for emerging business owners to step into the market.

Approach the best on-demand delivery app builder – Mobicommerce if you want a multi-niche delivery app built with a comprehensive list of features like tracking, creating a wish list, a suitable payment service, multiple bookings, ability to give reviews, and more to beat the heat and survive in the market now and post-COVID.

There is no industry left that hasn’t been affected by the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). From essential to non-essential goods, small to large scale businesses, even offline to eCommerce, all suffered losses, and some are still finding ways to cope up while freaking about the future. The automotive industry is one among the list and here’s why and how taking it online amidst COVID-19 appears to be the right thing to do.

With customers leaning towards contactless modes of purchasing due to the fear of infection, businesses around the world are forced to rethink their business model and way of doing business. The most affected are the offline ones as people have started to opt for online shopping than risking their life at crowded counters.

For the automotive industry, COVID-19 came as a blow because of the shutdown of offline showrooms and with no one venturing out, car sales experienced a sharp decline in the past few months. But there is also a ray of hope for the automotive industry due to COVID-19 because there is a high chance of good sales ahead with people’s preference switching back to personal mobility due to the scare of the spread of the virus from public transport.

While no one can predict when COVID-19 will end, waiting for some miracle to happen is not a choice, hence; taking the automotive retail business online is a step one must take amidst COVID-19 to set the foundation for the future as well as to match the change in the consumer behaviour.

Recommended Blog: Consumer Behaviour after COVID-19: Will eCommerce Demand Remain the Same?

The Decline in the Sale of Auto Parts

As soon as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, an unprecedented disruption began in the automotive industry especially, in the sale of auto parts. With many countries dependent on each other for automotive supply, when everything from manufacturing, import and export and sale of auto-components came to halt, losses worth millions has been reported in the global automotive industry.

Today, even though everyone is getting back into business, it will take a long time for the automotive industry to regain the losses or the worst, offline sales may not at all gain the momentum as before even if COVID-19 leaves. So, the question remains, how to sell auto parts online?

The COVID-19 pandemic is like a wake-up call for the automotive industry to formulate an action plan to acquire multiple vendors on a global scale, rather than limiting imports from one region entirely which can be made possible by developing an automotive ecommerce software solution. Now, before you start, there are some questions to be answered first so as to get your eCommerce solutions designed as such.

1. What do you want to sell?

Auto parts are many and you can’t be the seller of all, hence; narrow down whether you want to compete in the larger automotive arena or specialize in specific products? This will help you structure your ecommerce website and provide your users with a seamless and well-structured website with strong user experience (UX) that will lead to conversions more than bounces. It is important to come to terms with the auto parts because as per the parts you would have to decide your shipping requirements as well – How to ship by whom? The cost? The inventory for wrapping and shipping materials, etc.

2. Whom do you want to sell? 

There are many different demographics and user groups who buy auto parts online and therefore, again a decision has to be made whether you want an automotive ecommerce software solution or want to get started with b2b automotive spare parts solution as designing and building your ecommerce website for both have to be different.

You also need to study your audience to better understand how to sell auto parts online and also because the user behaviour varies from person-to-person. For example, for b2b sale where your customers will be auto shops, local garages, and other vendors, sales stability, lower costs, and better volumes are what they expect which could result in higher sales for your business. While if end customers are your target, then you must have the ability to potentially offer shorter delivery times for smaller quantities.

3. How do you want to sell? 

There are multiple options for the sale of automotive parts online like you may get a B2B auto parts web store solution developed or opt for automotive mobile app development or list yourself on eBay or register on Amazon marketplace, but nothing compares to the freedom of having your own eCommerce store.

Since it’s an omnichannel world out there and consumers are on all platforms for price comparison, convenience shopping, and even location-driven shopping, an omnichannel approach may prove beneficial for your online sales.

4. How to develop an automotive ecommerce software solution? 

Whether its B2B or B2C, your automotive ecommerce software solution must have some of the basic requirements like great user experience, smooth navigation, fast-loading pages, seamless checkout, relevant and fresh content, as all of it influences the decisions a customer makes when on your website. Other than that, the features which you need to pay attention to and think about implementing to enhance your online sales during and post COVID-19 are:

Multiple payment gateways: With people shifting to online shopping to avoid contact, online payment is what they prefer the most, therefore; make sure you have a variety of payment gateways to make shopping online easier for your customer. Giving them financing options that enable a seamless checkout will not only remove the need for customers having to enter their details in long forms but will also prevent them from migrating to your competitor.

Chatbot implementation: Chatbots can be an excellent addition to your eCommerce solution as they not only add personalization to your website but also allow real-time communication with your customers, meaning more time on site and more efficient problem-solving.

Product filtration: Auto parts come in various types, sizes, models, make, series, colour, style and whatnot. Finding a particular one would be extremely difficult for your customers if there is no filter option which you must include so as to display only relevant products to them.

Insightful descriptions: Since customers will be viewing auto parts virtually, you need to be very specific in describing the product down to every inch. It is also important to mention whether the parts are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or third-party manufactured as it matters a lot to the customer.

Professional media: As mentioned before, since customers can only feel the product with their eyes, it is important to give them the experience of reality by means of professional product images, videos, 3D views etc. To further compliment your customer’s experience when accessing your auto parts store online, you can try out Augmented or Virtual Reality as well.

In a nutshell, 

Looking at the current scenario, with COVID-19 to stay here for a long time and even after that, due to the change in consumer behaviour, taking your automotive business online seems to be the right thing to do without a doubt. Hence, if you want to get started right away and sell auto parts online without wasting any further time, Mobicommerce is the perfect automotive ecommerce website builder who will help you get your business developed with an omnichannel approach.

The greatest challenge for an ecommerce mobile app builder is to make shopping a pleasant and fun experience for the customers. Now, with the fear of Covid-19 pandemic still hovering on us, online shopping is gaining more momentum than ever before but now, with shifting feature priorities apart from a pleasant shopping experience.

The expectations in the mobile shopping experience in the present times are changing slowly to more value than just happy shopping online, which is why we have listed some must-have features that customers expect in a mobile shopping app during the COVID-19 which an online ecommerce store app builder can expedite for your online business success.

Online payment

With cash-on-delivery disabled due to the fear of the spread of the virus, an in-built secured payment option is a must in your app. Also, with so many online thefts happening, people are more careful in using online payment modes. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that your app has different choices for payment methods like paying by Credit/ Debit cards and Wallets along with the security of trusted payment gateways. By offering a selection of trusted payment methods, you will gain your customer’s trust and encourage repeated visits to your apps.

Push notifications

Transparency can be a great motivator for a customer to trust your app. Due to panic buying amid Covid-19, it is natural that you may run out-of-stock and to maintain the trust of customers in you, it is important to inform them whether a product is available or not while at the shopping page itself, rather than them finding it out-of-stock on the check-out page later. A push notification feature about the product’s non-availability, thus, will enable your customer to decide quickly if he/she wants to wait or look for another product.

Great user experience

Seamless navigation throughout the app is what defines a great and incredible user experience. Now with too many users flocking to online shopping all of a sudden, your app must be designed in such a way that every step right from browsing the store to checkout must be simple yet exciting without any glitches. Choosing a responsive design for your app is the best thing as it will fit whichever screen size customer is using.

Rating and feedback

Customers feel privileged when they are able to rate and review a product they have purchased as well as the service they got. It also gives them the satisfaction of helping other customers in deciding to buy a product. By adding ratings and feedback sections in your app for a product and your service, customers will get to know all aspects of the product and your service before making a decision to go with your app. This also gives room for improvement for you and the vendor to maintain quality.

Emerging technologies

Augmented Reality is the new thing used in the virtual world of online shopping and it can be put to best use in times of Covid crisis as it will give customers a sneak peek of how a product looks before they make a purchase. From groceries, apparels and furniture to everything, this will be one of the most useful technologies to implement in your eCommerce app.

Recommended Blog: PWA for Online Marketplace: A Right Technology Investment?

Easy checkout

This is where the visitor of your app actually becomes your customer. Therefore, you definitely do not want to lose your customer at this stage. A simple checkout is when half of the information is auto-filled based on the profile information of the customer like name and shipping address. Keep it really simple with only the necessary information being asked on the check-out page.

Wishlist

Time restriction, indecisiveness or budget constraints keep a customer from buying a particular product at a given point of time. A wishlist feature enables a customer to come back and make the purchase whenever one is ready.

Checking item availability

It happens that some products might be seen available in the inventory but delivering it to a specific location might have its own restrictions due to lockdown and various other reasons, to avoid that; it is important to include a future that enables the user to check the availability of the product by entering his/her location or pin code. This feature might look insignificant but it is a feature as small as this that gives a customer incredible shopping experience.

Easy registration

Covid-19 has triggered panic buying and stocking of products among customers which might stay for a long time and during such times, no one likes to go through a lengthy registration process. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you don’t have the registration until the checkout page. This makes it convenient for customers as they would be registering only if they are buying the product. Moreover, an easy and simple registration process will ensure you have your customer on-board for check-out. Also, saving user information to cut short the login time in future is recommended.

Conclusion

An eCommerce app has been a saviour in Covid-19 crisis and will continue to be one no matter what the situation is. So if you are looking to create a mobile app for an online store now, you know what features are trending and should be included in your app.

“Necessity is the mother of all inventions”, goes the old saying and life post-COVID-19 pandemic will see the advent of various online businesses.

We have seen many financial recessions in the current and past centuries; however, few budding entrepreneurs took the tide on their side and emerged as great businessmen during those crises. HP was started soon after the recession of 1937-38, Fed-Ex overcame the challenges of promoting a new and unheard concept of that time and became the pioneers of courier services right after the recession of 1969-70, whereas Hyatt was launched during the recession of 1958 when travel was at its lowest due to tough economic times. These and many other companies across the globe are inspiring examples of entrepreneurship that started during acute crisis.

Similarly, COVID crisis appears to be staying for long and has also transformed the way we live our life, our habits, our thinking and so on. Hence, if you too have a business plan and are waiting for COVID to end or fear to take the step at all then you are simply wasting your time because online is today’s way and is going to be the future too.

The emergence of online businesses amidst pandemics

The current pandemic has also triggered a global recession but one cannot forget that while China was fighting the SARS Pandemic of 2002-04. Ali Baba group which was a small eCommerce store at that time emerged as the biggest retailer in Asia. Its growth was accelerated by the fear of human contact, quite similar to the situation we are facing today.

The world is expecting to see technology replacing the physical movement of people in the upcoming months or maybe years until the spread of the virus is contained fully. Therefore, companies that choose to capitalize on the inevitable changes post lockdown will be the ones climbing the ladder of success. Taking a shift from brick and mortar business system to online business will be the key factor of staying relevant in these changing times.

Why shift to the online business model?

A lot of IT and non-IT companies have started giving work from home guidelines to employees as they do not want to take risks with their lives. Many fun activities like playing board games and even visiting a bar have been developed as apps to minimize boredom in this isolation period. Shopping online for everything under the sun has also risen in the past decade. All these apps have been well received by people, especially the millennial. A reasonably good section of the older population also has started using social media and shopping apps. This trend will catch pace in the post lockdown phase as people prefer to stay at home as much as possible.

With most of the businesses trying to reach their customers amid this challenging situation, new ways of functioning will start. It may be possible that we see online appointments being made for almost every service so that crowding can be avoided or services being delivered at the customer’s homes itself. Either way, technology will play an integral role in the future of business. So, we have made a list of top business ideas that are most likely to catch up in the online market post lockdown phase.

Online grocery shopping app– Groceries is a part of our daily essentials. Most of us buy our groceries from super and hypermarkets which have the maximum number of people at any given point of time. It is where you are likely to get in touch with a lot of people, which is why; people are showing more interest in getting home delivery of groceries, veggies, dairy products and all other daily usage items.

With a supermarket app, you can turn out to be a life-saviour by providing them with features like doorstep contactless deliveries of groceries, digital payments etc. Therefore, grocery shopping app development for supermarket or even single shop owners is one and top-most business that you may see a boost very soon.

Recommended Blog: COVID-19 Effects: Time to Switch to Grocery eCommerce from Offline Grocery Business?

Online pharmacy app– With a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food choices, health problems have increased amongst the people. Medicines, therefore, have become a necessity for all age groups, not just elderly people. If access to medicines is not made available to people on time, it could be life-threatening for many. Therefore, if you are a medical shop owner, online pharmacy app development can make you have a wider reach of customers. You will be able to deliver medicines and other essentials to your customers right at their doorstep or even take orders online so that they don’t have to stand for a long time with other customers in front of your shop.

Online automotive ecommerce solution- This is a great option adopted by the automotive industry for its customers. Features like finding parts of the vehicle, VIN search, wholesale order tracking and garage management have now become online services which can be accessed by customers without coming physically to the shop. A robust online automotive ecommerce solution will be the thing customers will be looking forward to and which can bring in more benefits for all as well.

On-demand professionals– Be it doctors, nurses, plumbers, electricians or even salon experts- getting their services at your home will be a common thing in the future to avoid unnecessary human contact. A common app can be built to book any of these professionals or for a particular industry like a beauty salon mobile app solution to provide the professional service safely at home.

Online food delivery– With restaurants being one of the hardest-hit sectors by the coronavirus pandemic, shifting to online food delivery will be the wisest way to sustain and gradually progress too. Even after upliftment of the lockdown, places, where major crowds gather like restaurants, will take time to start functioning fully. People might be not coming to your restaurant but they are definitely craving for that unique and favourite dish of your eatery. So why not start delivering your dishes to their homes by developing an on-demand food delivery app and satisfy their taste buds?

Wrapping up 

We all know how badly this global pandemic has taken a toll on our lives but, this doesn’t mean things won’t change and you have to give up on all hope. Getting an online business developed can be done easily while you are at home and hence; you make use of this time to prepare for the future. So, whether you are running a business already or have plans to invest for better tomorrow, the above-mentioned business ideas can work great for you in the future whose development you can leave at the hands of the experts like Mobicommerce.

We all know life would never be the same after COVID-19 as it has shaken us to the core turning our life upside down. Everything from the way we think, act, go out, interact, in short, our entire way of life has been changed and the most drastic change that we are witnessing and will continue to see in the future is the twist in the consumer’s behaviour. Will it bring good or bad for business, is what we have to observe.

The Brutal Effect of COVID Pandemic

The mounting cases of COVID-19 are creating an impact on every dimension of our life – Physical, Mental, Social, and Economic and the worst affected among all is the economy. With countries going under complete lockdown for months, the livelihood of many came to standstill causing a large void which may take years to recover. Those with traditional bricks-and-mortar retail have slipped into darkness coming out of which will cost their entire life savings.

Due to the COVID crisis, people began to shop online due to the closure of all but essential retail outlets (supermarkets/grocers, pharmacies/drug stores, post office and banks) thereby crippling the offline retailers by all means. The fear of coronavirus bought a sudden change in the shopping habit of customers which is now posing the question of whether the current surge of eCommerce will remain the same post-COVID or not? Let’s understand.

The Changes Observed in Buyer’s Behaviour

• The priorities changed. The COVID pandemic made people realize the importance of basic essentials and hygiene products for survival, hence; categories like groceries, medicines, toiletries, has now become the top priorities for customers who were into shopping fashion, beauty, electronics and other non-essential items like crazy earlier.
• The mode of payment has now become completely digitalized. COD is now temporarily disabled due to the fear of the spread of the virus from currency notes, which has given a push to digital payments.
• Due to the panic of lockdown, people are becoming frequent online shoppers in order to stock up the basic essentials in their home, which is causing many eCommerce brands and marketplaces to go out of stock.
• The eCommerce market is turning into a battle. With more and more online shoppers emerging from all over the world, meeting their demands and delivering the essentials to them on-time is becoming challenging for eCommerce owners day-by-day. Therefore, the competition among them is getting fierce and it is also inspiring a lot of entrepreneurs to come with unique and creative eCommerce startup ideas which will boom within a short span of time.

The Future of eCommerce: What to Expect?

As per the COVID-19 e-commerce data, the numbers are plateauing – but at 63.6% higher than before. Although the world has not yet become free from the deadly pandemic, many countries have begun to remove stay-at-home orders and re-open their societies, as we can’t stay locked up the whole time. Thus, it would be interesting to see if the convenience and safety offered by moving online will remain as popular as it is today.

If we look at the present scenario, the virus doesn’t seem to leave us soon until a vaccine comes into light and also some experts are predicting a second wave of the virus accompanied by shut-downs, so there is a high possibility of eCommerce to continue booming in the coming years, with or without COVID.

Moreover, many local retailers are accepting the fact that a crisis like this can arise anytime in the future and during such tough times, an online presence can help them keep going to some extent than putting shutters to their business for a very long time, henceforth, a lot of small local retailers, as well as national providers, are finding innovative and digital ways to cope by switching to eCommerce development or b2b ecommerce software solutions. 

In short, a continued strong growth of eCommerce over the coming years, which will be mainly driven by the further adoption of mobile shopping can be expected.

Recommended Blog: 5 Benefits of Getting an Online Business Presence during COVID-19

The Digital Approach

Taking a jump online is not as easy as it sounds, there’s a need for implementing tactical solutions to help you get through the immediate crisis, but they have to be in the context of a broader digital strategy. So, let’s check out which digital approach can work and how those digital experiences need to be carefully and seamlessly managed across all customer touchpoints so as to get the most out of it.

1. An eCommerce Business Model 

There are various eCommerce business models among which you need to decide what would you prefer, for example, B2C, B2B, or B2B2C, and according to that, you can pick the software solution that works best for you by all terms.

2. Select the right eCommerce development partner

Behind the success of an eCommerce platform lies the hand of an experienced ecommerce website and mobile app development company, hence while you have time due to the lockdown, you can search for a seasoned eCommerce development partner to build a productive platform for your business.

3. Enhance if you already have one

If you already are into eCommerce you can enhance the credibility of your store even more by implementing some latest features like; chatbots, voice assistants, real-time contextual personalization and merchandising, a combination of both – headless commerce and CMS etc.

Conclusion

We have no idea how shopping will be in the future, will things get back to normal or will we have to live with the new-normal, anyhow, investing in an eCommerce platform was, is and never will be a waste as eCommerce game is definitely going to go strong in the future.

In a nutshell, to match the current buying behaviour and to meet the future growth, you will need a well-designed e-commerce solution developing which none other than Mobicommerce is the best.