The world has been hit in a devastating way by the Covid-19 pandemic. All areas of life have been affected. At the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak, many governments enforced Stay-at-Home measures that require social distancing for millions and closures of non-essential stores. Unsurprisingly, home confinement forced consumers towards online shopping. For the most part, businesses are experiencing a time of struggle right now, but one area that has seen a bit of a boost is web traffic and e-commerce.
Even businesses that are reopening have restrictions enforcing social distancing, the wearing of masks, and limits on how many customers can enter a space at one time.
When traditional shopping becomes difficult, or may even be scary, people are increasingly inclinedto shop online. The fact that consumers were already embracing Amazon and other online retailers with open arms made this transition considerably easier.Web design, in general, is seeing a substantial increase in demand during this time as the population is mostly stuck at home. Many people are seeing this as the perfect time to tackle a new website or redesign an existing web presence.
That is why in this article we will try to examine both the factors that trigger the development of e-commerce in the Covid-19 era, as well as the key points of consumer behavior during Covid-19 pandemic.
Parameters that trigger the continued growth of E-commerce
– The rapid growth of mobile devices is making it easier than ever to browse and shop online. Customers can place orders one-handed from the device that is likely in their hand or pocket at all times.
– Even as some items became scarce in physical stores there were options for ordering online.
– New shopping habits. Due to quarantine, people’s way of buying items has changed.
– Covid-19 fears aren’t going to disappear overnight. Even when the quarantine ends, people will be cautious and probably many will still prefer shopping from the safety of their homes.
Let’s look at the roadmap of consumer trends and behaviors during the pandemic.
Key Points of Consumer Behavior during Covid-19 pandemic
– Ecommerce benefited during forced closure. Weekly E-commerce sales during the mandatory store-closure period have increased by 61% compared to the weekly average during the pre-closure period.
– The market is shifting. The global Covid-19 pandemic, retail, and E-commerce businesses are facing new challenges in consumer behavior –in total spend, product mix, and where shopping takes place.
– Average order value (€) have grown by 31%. The average item per order increased by 60% during this period as consumers opt to add more products in their orders to cover the needs.
– Top 3 eCommerce product categories: Entertainment, Stationery & Hobbies, and Food & Beverages.
– Bottom 3 eCommerce product categories: Automotive, Home Appliances, and Fashion.
Final thoughts
Convenience, wide selection, and savings have spurred online retail since the beginning. This will continue exponentially as E-commerce becomes even more popular and competitive.The advantages of online shopping aren’t going to disappear even when retail businesses reopen fully. All of this points to why this is the ideal time to either start or double down on your E-commerce efforts.