L'e-commerce e gli acquisti omnichannel non sono nati dalla pandemia, ma l'arrivo del COVID-19 ha accelerato queste tendenze in modi che altrimenti avrebbero probabilmente richiesto decenni. La pandemia non ha nemmeno concepito la convenienza, né ha ispirato i clienti a richiederla, ma ha fatto luce su quanto sia importante nella vita di tutti i giorni, in particolare in una crisi sanitaria globale. Ora che i consumatori riprendono molte delle loro attività precedenti alla pandemia, i distributori devono continuare a concentrarsi sulla convenienza, anche quando i consumatori lasciano il comfort delle loro case.
La vita quotidiana dei consumatori era impegnata ben prima dell'arrivo di COVID-19. I marchi e i rivenditori pensavano attivamente ai canali digitali, all'e-commerce e a vere e proprie esperienze di acquisto omnichannel. Ora, dopo oltre 16 mesi di dipendenza dei consumatori dalla connettività e dalle esperienze omnichannel, la richiesta di convenienza è più alta che mai, e anche le aspettative dei consumatori nei confronti dei rivenditori lo saranno.
That does not mean that all commerce will remain online. It means that retailers need to meet consumers where they are—and offer experiences that provide unilateral convenience. That will require a true blending of on- and offline tactics rather than a reliance on one over the other.
I servizi click-and-collect, ad esempio, sono diventati mainstream nel panorama del retail. Se questi servizi erano un'ancora di salvezza per i rivenditori quando gli acquisti in negozio non erano possibili, la loro ampia disponibilità rappresenta un enorme passo avanti in termini di convenienza, in quanto combinano l'esperienza di acquisto online con la velocità e la facilità di ritiro per i consumatori locali. E questo continuerà anche con il ritorno degli acquisti in negozio. Rimanere agili, flessibili e concentrati sui consumatori sarà fondamentale per i rivenditori ora che esistono nuovi standard di convenienza.
Clearly, click-and-collect isn’t a replacement. It’s a complement. And when we look at in-store shopping trends, Nielsen Scarborough data shows that aggregate in-store shopping behavior (albeit at fewer stores, as many have closed) among U.S. households changed very little between the second half of 2019 and the second half of 2020. Aggregate in-store grocery shopping trends changed even less—even as online grocery shopping activity ticked upward. And now, with COVID restrictions lifting, consumers are increasingly engaging with traditional retail establishments.
The importance of convenience across channels will only increase going forward, particularly as consumers grow increasingly comfortable with resuming pre-pandemic activities. According to an ongoing consumer lifestyle survey about the pandemic conducted by Nielsen Audio, sentiment among U.S. consumers that life is starting to become more normal was at its highest level in June 2021, with 90% of respondents saying they felt ready to resume pre-pandemic activities, including in-store shopping, spending time with others and eating out.
For many retailers, now is the time to re-engage with consumers. While essential retailers that have had frequent, ongoing engagements with consumers over the past year are likely top-of-mind among shoppers, many retailers may need to re-introduce themselves to the broader public—especially if they pulled back on their marketing and ad spend last year.
So as consumer optimism and spending returns, retailers should be focused on marketing efforts that build their brands and grow awareness. This is particularly important for retailers thinking about their holiday planning, including click and collect options. That’s because brand awareness efforts can’t wait until September or October. They should be part of a holistic approach to marketing.
Importantly, it’s time for retailers to pivot. To survive store closures last year, many retailers shifted to conversion-oriented strategies to keep their bottom lines afloat. Today, as vaccine availability rises and consumers reclaim aspects of their pre-pandemic lives, retailers need upper-funnel brand awareness campaigns to bring their brands back into focus for consumers. We know that long-term growth requires a balance of short- and long-term marketing strategies, but retailers that pulled back on marketing last year likely have some ground to regain as they seek to re-engage with consumers.
3 cose che i retailer possono fare in vista dei principali eventi festivi:
- Know who your target shoppers are post pandemic and ensure your ads are actually reaching them
- Personalize and test messaging to key shopper groups
- Set up measurement on how the campaigns resonated
