Last week we shared the first part of the blog based on our Co-Founder and Head of Strategic Alliances Niall O'Gorman webinar with Jeannette Potts from Isobar Switzerland. The webinar was hosted on Re-Imagining the eCommerce Landscape Post Covid-19. In the second part of the blog we share insights from the webinar on sustaining the growth in eCommerce as well as the change in consumer behaviour as a result of changing needs.
The pandemic has changed consumer shopping behavior for good. The question is how much of this will be sustained? There was a spike in sales for certain products particularly pantry categories such as canned foods pasta frozen foods and toilet paper etc. As the dust begins to settle it's no longer critical to stockpile but rather use the stock that they have already built up.
Hence brands now have to give inspiration content and activation to their customers to use the products otherwise consumers are not going to buy new products and refresh their pantries for a while. This is also important to drive sales as products are more readily available now. The key challenge question is that how can brands pivot the messaging to give customers creative ideas on how to use up the products that they already have in stock particularly in the F&B category.
One way that food brands have been encouraging their customers is by giving them ideas and recipes on cozy cooking comfort foods and providing meal kits. But brands also have to be flexible to account for the customer not having all the ingredients. Hence how can the brand help the consumer solve for that and give alternatives?
Our partnership with Recipe Guru helps global brands and retailers translate increasing levels of recipe content engagement into positive commercial outcomes. There is also an opportunity to curate recipes and personalize them to meet differing needs. Learn more about our partnership here.
Consumer behaviour has changed as a result COVID-19 the lockdown and the new normal . It also impacts the way we consume works or even takes care of our personal needs. In the health category consumers are increasingly looking at nourishing their body and have shown a growing interest in boosting their immunity.
Another change has been the change in the shopping trips as consumers now prefer to go to the shops less frequently and stockpile. This translates to prioritising essentials and freezing your foods - there is also an explosion in stand-alone freezers. Subsequently the content has also changed to cater to new consumer behaviour and needs. Brands that help their customers use their products potentially convert those customers into customers for life.
ChannelSight is uniquely placed to measure the recent surge in e-commerce demand on the back-of Governmental lock-downs across North America and Europe. Across France Italy Germany Sweden Switzerland Netherlands Spain there is a massive spike. These are driven by high in demand categories such as F&B DIY Home office to name a few. Read more category insights here.
ChannelSight has been tracking eCommerce data since the partial lockdowns and the way eCommerce performance has evolved over the past few months.
It's no surprise that eCommerce traffic has begun to decrease as restrictions ease. Yet the eCommerce performance is leveling off higher than what it was pre-COVID19. Even though retail has begun to open consumers are no longer finding the in-store shopping experience pleasurable. There is still uncertainty as to the rule of engagement in-store figuring out an optimal physical layout and how consumers can be respectful towards their fellow shoppers. While it will take time to figure out these things we expect to see another spike in eCommerce sales as a result.
ChannelSight has a team of experts that can help you understand your customers' needs better and implement solutions that can help your eCommerce strategy. Contact us today to book a demo with our team of experts.
