The world of business is changing. Over the last 20 years, the death of brick and mortar stores has slowly been taking place. For the most part, it’s gone unnoticed. That was until the pandemic hit, and no one was able to go out to these stores anymore… enter online shopping!
The explosive growth if eCommerce s is due to many reasons as, accelerated by the effects of Covid-19. Fears and restrictions kept people inside and forced stores to close, making it in the people’s best interest to shop online instead. This caused a boom in eCommerce, bringing more attention to the systems available online, and the perks of shopping at home rather than in the high street. These same benefits were driving factors behind the success of eCommerce before the pandemic.
eCommerce appeals to both consumer and seller alike as it offers benefits to both parties. For the consumer, there are targeted adverts that show them what they want to see, based on previous searches and purchases. Instead of having to spend a long time perusing a shop, searching for what they want, it’s offered to them instantaneously. Not only that, but they get what they want from where they want too. Consumers don’t need to travel the globe to shop internationally, now they can sit from their sofa and buy products from anywhere across the world comfortably. There’s no time constraints either, as websites don’t need holidays or breaks and can keep operating at all times of the day and night.
As for sellers, they are given a platform that not only makes it easier, but cheaper too. The cost of buying or renting a store and the costs to keep it running are cut out. Now investments are focussed on websites, SEO and online ad campaigns, all of which have global reach as opposed to local reach. These platforms provide assistance to companies, allowing them to manage all orders, shipping and payments from a single dashboard. In addition to this, warehouse space or 3PL services, like our very own AAS Fulfilment, come at a fraction of the price of a glossy store front and multiple sales staff!
eCommerce platforms also offer marketing tools to companies that make it easier to create and push campaigns on other platforms such as Google and Facebook – allowing companies to better sell their products. This also works both ways, with it being easier to sell a product but also to receive feedback on the products. Customers can leave reviews online, or keep in contact via emails, which takes a few moments to do.
This has forever changed both consumer and producer outlooks on shopping, but it’s also changing it for couriers, suppliers and freelancers too. Freelancers now have more work, customising and decorating the websites of all these new ecommerce platforms and businesses, as well as creating adverts for their products. Couriers have more work coming in through the doors, having to deliver a lot more of people’s orders to their homes. And suppliers have more demand as products become more wanted by international consumers as well as national.
It’s safe to assume eCommerce is here to stay and continued growth is almost guaranteed…