In light of the current situation we find ourselves in, the popularity and indeed the importance of e-commerce has exploded.
Of course, e-commerce has always been huge, with businesses such as Amazon leading the way, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid acceleration of growth of e-commerce for businesses of all sizes.
With the majority of the world going into lockdown in March, many businesses were forced into closures, be it temporarily or more severely on a permanent basis. Even now when we appear to be coming out of the other end of this, there is still a degree of uncertainty when it comes to businesses who traditionally sell from a store and supply physical products.
Social distancing, the wearing of masks, limits on how many customers can enter a space at one time and many other restrictions now in place can be a daunting prospect to customers. As the traditional shopping method becomes more difficult, these customers are then more inclined to turn to online shopping.
There are a number of advantages to online shopping and these are only likely to increase as time goes on, even if the traditional retail industry is to reopen as usual. This is why if you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to either begin or enhance your e-commerce efforts.
Reasons why e-commerce will continue to grow
The following are just some of the factors that will ensure e-commerce continues to grow.
- Change in shopping habits due to the lockdown.
- Coronavirus fears will not disappear overnight, a lot of shoppers will now prefer shopping in the safety of their own home.
- The ever-increasing growth of mobile device users online means the ease of buying online from your phone will become even more popular.
- Stock levels and pre-ordering. We all remember the toilet roll saga, but ordering online allows you to see stock availability and pre-order required items.
More and more, customers now appreciate the convenience of online shopping. While some expect a return to normality post-COVID, e-commerce’s growth trend suggests continued rapid expansion beyond the pandemic.
It is vital that businesses make the most of this and offer a flexible online shopping solution for shoppers, speak to our team at Made In Scotland today and extend your website with e-commerce capabilities.