Eコマースやオムニチャネル・ショッピングはパンデミックから生まれたわけではないが、COVID-19の登場は、そうでなければおそらく数十年かかったであろう方法で、こうしたトレンドを加速させた。パンデミックはまた、利便性を考案したわけでも、顧客が利便性を求めるようになったわけでもないが、日常生活において、特に世界的な健康危機において、利便性がいかに重要であるかに光を当てた。今、消費者がパンデミック以前の活動の多くを再開する中、小売企業は、消費者が快適な自宅を離れても、利便性にこだわり続ける必要がある。
COVID-19が登場するずっと前から、消費者の日常生活は忙しかった。ブランドや小売企業は、ニールセンについて デジタル・チャネル、eコマース、真のオムニチャネル・ショッピング体験を積極的に考えていた。消費者がコネクティビティとオムニチャネル体験に依存するようになってから16ヶ月以上が経過した今、利便性のベースラインはかつてないほど高くなっており、小売業者に対する消費者の期待も高まるだろう。
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.
例えば、クリック・アンド・コレクト・サービスは、小売業界の主流となっている。こうしたサービスは、店舗での買い物が不可能だった時代には、小売業者にとって生命線であったが、広く利用されるようになったことで、オンライン・ショッピングの体験と、地域の消費者のための迅速で簡単な受け取りが融合し、利便性の面で大きな進歩を遂げている。そしてそれは、店舗での買い物が復活しても続くだろう。利便性の新たな基準が存在する今、小売企業にとって、機敏で柔軟性があり、消費者に焦点を当て続けることは非常に重要である。
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.
ホリデーシーズンに向けて小売業ができる3つのこと：
- 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 測定 on how the campaigns resonated
