‘Customers who once wandered the aisles of stores now place orders online. Employees keep their distance from customers instead of greeting them personally.’ BARE shares an article by Blake Morgan for Forbes about how retailers are adapting with curbside pickup in order to serve customers and keep their businesses afloat.
We all have days where we lack motivation, and you’re not alone. It happens. Even the most positive and productive people have days like this. Michelle, a BARE Quality Control Executive, shares a few ‘survival strategies’ for staying mentally healthy amidst the lockdown. Read more
‘Every consumer has their go-to brands—the companies they will do business with again and again because of a trusted track record, great product and strong service. Every company wants to be a go-to brand, only about one-third of them reach that status.’ BARE shares an article by Blake Morgan for Forbes on the connection and progress for customers of the future.
‘As eCommerce’s share of overall retail sales shot past an estimated 25% (up from 17% in 2019), the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry has rushed to adapt to a rapidly changing business model. ‘ BARE shares an article by Kiri Masters for Forbes discussing the rise eCommerce among grocery shoppers.
For the past few weeks, we have all experienced a huge shift in shopping behaviors to digital adoption and online experiences. As retailers, restaurants, and other on-site businesses begin to reopen, there will be another shift in consumer behaviors… And it’s not going to be the same as before.
Are you ready to reopen with the upcoming ‘new normal’? Read more
‘Can you still deliver a great customer experience from six feet away? That’s the challenge for companies in our global pandemic world. Social distancing guidelines have changed how people interact with each other and with brands.’ BARE shares an article by Blake Morgan for Forbes with creative customer experience ideas for social distancing.
‘Some clients firmly believe that passively collected data are a better way to reveal true, actionable insights about consumers’ behavior… we’ve been cautioning against the sole reliance on passive data, because we continue to prove that direct interaction with a respondent is still valuable in unlocking the why behind their behavior, IF you do it right.’ BARE shares an article by Mary Mathes for Quirk’s on the importance of purposeful data collection. Read more
‘Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the foodse rvice industry has rapidly refocused its efforts to bolster delivery and pick-up orders. As the customer relationship moves online and at their doorstep, safety measures must be put into place for both delivery teams and consumers.’ BARE shares an article by Christine Schindler for Fast Casual on simple solutions that protect delivery employees and customers. Read more
‘Many marketing experts predict that e-commerce sales will only increase as COVID-19 infections soar, social distancing becomes standard practice, and more people choose—or are required—to stay home. However… 36% of sellers predict their sales will actually decline.’ Read on as BARE shares an article by Michael Ugino from Business 2 Community on the Impact of Coronavirus on E-Commerce and ‘what sellers can expect during this turbulent time, as well as tips from e-commerce experts on how to protect your online business and make the most of this opportunity by connecting with your customers.
There are a lot of unknowns right now: how far covid-19 will spread, how the market will respond, and what the overall impact of the pandemic will be worldwide. Though no one truly knows what will happen, these predictions will give sellers an idea of what to expect.
Almost half of retailers expect some economic downturn due to the pandemic.
However, preliminary data from Quantum Metric shows that e-commerce has recently experienced an average revenue weekly growth rate increase of 52% and an 8.8% increase in conversion rates compared to a year ago. This may reflect a sudden increase in demand as more consumers turn to online shopping.
And more people are shopping online. Nearly 75% of U.S. internet users say they plan to avoid in-store shopping because of the pandemic. And with brick-and-mortar retail accounting for 85% of U.S. retail sales, this is shifting day-to-day shopping to online marketplaces. However, this increase in demand will cause other issues, which we’ll explore in detail below.
Overall, total retail traffic fell 9.1% last week, though, according to Morgan Stanley, and analysts don’t believe that e-commerce will fully mitigate these declines.
And while consumers are spending on essentials like groceries and, of course, toilet paper, sellers of nonessential goods have seen their sales drop by 40% to 60% on Amazon lately, as shoppers limit discretionary spending.
With the popularity of Amazon Prime and its free two-day shipping, modern consumers expect fast delivery and will often opt for the product that will arrive fastest. But demands on inventory and shipping delays have made it difficult for even an e-commerce giant like Amazon to deliver on this promise.
This means online shoppers are more likely to convert on products they need, even if they have longer delivery windows, to avoid going to brick-and-mortar stores, where inventory may be low or even nonexistent.
This has both pros and cons. It’s likely to bring in more paid search dollars. However, as supply chain issues increase, third-party sellers will look for ways to limit the impact, such as reducing ad spending.
Forty-two percent of retailers cite concerns about consumer confidence. This is an economic indicator that measures the degree of optimism that consumers have about both their personal financial situation and the overall state of the economy.
However, they disagree on how great of an impact there will be. Nearly 60% believe there will be some impact. Twenty-two percent believe the impact will be significant, and 20% project a limited impact.
If you’ve been to a grocery store lately, you’ve no doubt encountered empty shelves. With more people buying up food and supplies and hoarding necessities, numerous industries are dealing with inventory shortages.
Forty-four percent of the sellers surveyed say they expect production delays, and 40% expect inventory shortages throughout 2020.
“Why are we having such great shortages, and why can’t the system respond? Because you have a perfect storm,” says Steven A. Melnyk, professor of operations and supply chain management at Michigan State University. “Most companies, when they deal with demand, are predicting it, [but the volume recently sought by consumers] was just off the scale. It was an event they had never foreseen.”
Many of the challenges online retailers currently face are supply chain-related, and online marketplaces are responding in various ways.
For example, retail giant Amazon has experienced a massive strain on its supply chain, resulting in shipment delays, technical glitches, and labor shortages. Now, it’s stopping shipments of nonessential products to its warehouses.
“Leaked documents from the U.S. government are suggesting [shortages] could last up to 18 months and come in waves,” says Tommy Walker, global editor-in-chief of the QuickBooks Resource Center. “We’re still in early days, but if that is the case, options like FBA will be unreliable at best, and the entire supply chain will continue to be disrupted.”
Amazon is also prioritizing shipment in the following categories: baby products, health and household, beauty and personal care, grocery, industrial and scientific, and pet supplies.
Retailers who were asked what actions they’re taking as a result of the pandemic cited supply chain communication and contingency planning as their top actions.
Many e-commerce sellers have engaged in price gouging and false marketing, prompting marketplaces like Amazon and eBay to remove millions of items and even suspend or ban some sellers.
Laws around price gouging and false advertising vary from state to state. Still, with sellers making headlines for taking advantage of panicked consumers, lawmakers are calling for strict enforcement of these laws, and online marketplaces are following suit.
The impact on sellers who are penalized for such practices won’t only affect them in the short term, but also in the long run as they’ll have to address a negative image. “Retailers trying to gouge prices or take advantage will have to deal with serious brand reputation management when this passes,” says Goldie Chan, founder of Warm Robots.
According to a survey published on March 12, only 20% of e-commerce retailers plan to take “aggressive action” in response to the coronavirus, while 44% reported that they plan to take “some action.”
However, given the progression of COVID-19 across the globe and the numerous countries and U.S. states that have issued store and business closures since that date, the organizers note that “retailers certainly could have moved into panic mode since they’ve taken this survey.”
Whether you’re in panic mode or not, here’s what the experts advise you do to protect your e-commerce business during this unpredictable time.
While some brands are trying to capitalize on changes in the market and take advantage of customers’ fears, experts urge e-commerce businesses to avoid such tactics.
“A lot of e-commerce brands are making the mistake of alienating their audiences with tacky promotions that are taking advantage of the pandemic,” says Ross Simmonds of Foundation.
“Whether it’s using clever puns or making the coronavirus their promocode for a discount, these tactics can leave a bad taste in the mouth of your customers. While some of these tactics might give you some short-term wins, it could cause long-term damage as people will remember how you responded during a crisis. I advise all retailers to embrace empathy in their communications.”
Eighty-six percent of people say transparency from businesses is important to them, and this is imperative during times of uncertainty like now.
E-commerce brands can practice transparency by publicly addressing common customer frustrations like delivery delays, out-of-stock products, and internal sanitation procedures. They can also take steps like providing additional training to customer service agents about handling covid-19 -related inquiries.
Communication is essential during this tumultuous time, but focus on what’s important and don’t over-communicate.
You’ve likely had an influx of emails from every company you’ve ever done business with, informing you of how they’re dealing with COVID-19—but how many have actually been relevant to you as a consumer?
Over-communication about unimportant things is just as damaging as not saying anything at all, so find ways to share something positive.
As noted above, e-commerce businesses are facing serious supply chain problems, so it’s essential to take steps to alleviate these problems before they worsen.
“Long-term, diversify both manufacturing and fulfillment locations, when possible,” advises Casey Armstrong, CMO of ShipBob. “On the manufacturing side, that might take a while, especially with the demand and uncertainty today. On the fulfillment side, that can be done much faster. The importance of proper supply chain management is showing right now. We have been summarizing everything we have found as quickly as we can on our site, especially as it pertains to both the receiving and fulfillment of goods across our entire network.”
Supply chain disruptions may make it difficult to manufacture and ship physical products, which will undoubtedly negatively impact profits. However, sellers can lessen the blow by marketing any virtual products they may have to offer.
“There are no barriers with virtual products,” Walker says. “Gift cards are obvious, but classes, tutorials, e-books, these are all options as well—you just need to get creative.”
If sales are declining, it’s only natural to look for ways to cut costs, and often, your advertising or marketing budget is first to go. But don’t cut back entirely on prospecting. Doing so means that you’ll have to invest more time and resources into these areas when business returns to normal.
To begin, focus on your customers by creating deeper connections with them. While it may be challenging to attract new customers at this time, look for ways to recapture lapsed customers and engage your higher-value customers.
Also, consider display advertising. App downloads have surged as a result of covid-19. In China, app downloads over the first two weeks of February were 40% higher than the average for all of 2019.
“There is a notable increase in internet traffic as people are working, learning, and spending more waking hours at home and online,” says Bradley Hoos, Chief Growth Officer, The Outloud Group. “We have seen early indications that viewership across online content platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok [is] trending upward. This creates opportunity.”
Ninety percent of Instagram users follow brands on social media, so there’s ample opportunity for e-commerce businesses to connect with their followers during this difficult time.
Leo Strupczewski, Curalate’s marketing director, says many brands are doing this exactly right. He notes independent running company Tracksmith, which ran an Instagram Story earlier this week, sharing running-related books, movies, and podcasts, as well as Calpak, which outright asked its followers what kind of content they want to see right now.
“While brands have spent a ton of time over the last few years building influencer- and user-generated content strategies to create an ‘authentic’ look that’s still highly curated, right now the curated aspects of a brand feel a little off,” Strupczewski says. “I think brands are recognizing that, and there are new examples every day of brands throwing that out the window. My favorite example right now is Glossier. Look at their Instagram feed from March 13 forward and compare it to the posts from the week before.”
Right now, consumers aren’t looking to be sold to—they’re looking for connection—so keep that in mind as you engage with users on social media.
“The online businesses I’ve seen who send genuine, human, personal communications about this pandemic are the ones I most want to continue doing business with,” says B2B SaaS consultant Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré.
All of the tips outlined above have one thing in common: They build customer trust.
From keeping consumers informed of product shortages to taking steps to improve your supply chain to maintain inventory, each one helps reassure the most crucial aspect of your business: the customer.
The covid-19 situation is changing rapidly, and it’s still too soon to know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. But if e-commerce sellers keep their customers at the forefront, it’ll successfully guide their decisions.’
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Read the original article in full here.
‘These are turbulent and scary times for restaurant operators across the board. Online orders went from 10% to 100% of your business in just a matter of days. Your in-store order channel completely disappeared… But the pre-COVID rules of the road have changed drastically. The guest, now ordering solely through your online channels, needs an optimized menu for the current environment.’ BARE International shares an article from Fast Casual on 6 Ways to Ensure Your Online Menu is COVID-Friendly.