How the Pandemic Fast-Tracked eCommerce Growth
Did you find yourself doing much more online shopping over the past year? Well, you’re not the only one.
The pandemic turned an already rapidly growing eCommerce industry and fast-forwarded it by 10 years. The results are customers who are savvier than ever — which means businesses have a rare opportunity. It’s time to make the most of this new digital age, or risk being left behind.
Australia Post reported that compared to January 2020, January 2021 purchase volume grew by 44% and it shows no signs of slowing down. It wasn’t just Australia that embraced shopping online, this was a trend we saw replicated in America and the UK.
Even groups that might have been resistant to online shopping, like those over 65, have become a massive online buying power. The Washington Post reported that baby boomers are spending over 49% more online then they did the year prior.
After a year of customers adopting eCommerce as part of their everyday online habits, we’re confident in saying that it’s here to stay.
What Do You Really Need?
It’s not just bulk buying that we have all found a sudden interest in — our online shopping habits have changed.
Nielsen reports that it’s not just grocery sales that have skyrocketed but we are also buying more health-minded items and home entertainment services. The downside here is that many luxury brands have suffered massive downturns. It’s clear that consumers have started to take stock of what they find really important, and their purchasing reflects that.
Australian customers differ slightly from other nations, we love the experience of visiting a store. As Ad News explains, ‘there are few things more Australian than going to Bunnings, the country’s leading hardware store, for a weekend sausage sizzle.’ This trend can be traced in part to historically long delivery times due to geographical difficulties outside major capital cities. Why bother ordering something online if you can drive in and pick it up?
Or maybe we just love a sausage sizzle.
Not Quite Next Day Delivery
If you can’t guarantee next day delivery then what can your business offer?
It’s not just posting parcels, the rise of click and collect type services also exploded over the past year. It allows customers to choose exactly what they want and be able to collect it at a time that is convenient for them. The warmth and personality usually reserved for brick and mortar stores now must be replicated online. The explosion in eCommerce growth has created a consumer who wants the best experience online— every single time.
You can no longer get by on the charm of a slightly homemade website — especially if you want to get repeat customers and build an emotional connection. It’s not just a website you need to think about, customers also want an intuitive mobile site as well. With 5.2 million people making an online purchase in January 2021 alone it’s a massive market that is only going to continue to grow.
Now is the Time to Invest
It’s not just goods that people want to invest in — but also their living space. With the rapid rise of working from home more people than ever have decided to turn their spare room into a home office. People were not just buying desks and office chairs, they were also purchasing sports equipment, home entertainment systems and personal devices.
Much like we all worked on some home improvements over the past year, it’s time for you to improve your eCommerce capabilities. Whatever your business is, there’s room for it to grow and expand its online experience.
Despite worries about an economic downturn, the retail and online sector has bounced back with surprising agility. There is still a wealth of data from the past twelve months to be analysed and poured over and our experts are watching closely to see what the rest of the year brings.
We might have been flung ten years into the future of the digital world — but we feel ready for it.
Want to grow your eCommerce business? Come and chat with the eCommerce experts at Emote Digital.