이커머스와 옴니채널 쇼핑이 팬데믹으로 인해 탄생한 것은 아니지만, 코로나19의 도래는 이러한 트렌드를 수십 년이 걸렸을 수도 있는 방식으로 가속화했습니다. 또한 팬데믹은 편리함을 고안하거나 고객의 요구를 불러일으키지는 않았지만, 일상 생활, 특히 글로벌 보건 위기 상황에서 편리함이 얼마나 중요한지를 조명해 주었습니다. 이제 소비자들이 팬데믹 이전의 많은 활동을 재개함에 따라 리테일러는 소비자들이 집 밖을 나설 때에도 편의성에 초점을 맞춰야 합니다.
코로나19가 발생하기 훨씬 전부터 소비자들의 일상은 바빴습니다. 브랜드와 리테일러들은 디지털 채널, 이커머스, 진정한 옴니채널 쇼핑 경험에 대해 적극적으로 고민하고 있었습니다. 16개월 이상 소비자가 연결성과 옴니채널 경험에 의존해 온 지금, 편의성에 대한 기준은 그 어느 때보다 높아졌으며 리테일러에 대한 소비자의 기대치도 높아질 것입니다.
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.
예를 들어, 클릭 앤 콜렉트 서비스는 리테일 업계에서 대세로 자리 잡았습니다. 이러한 서비스는 매장 방문 쇼핑이 불가능했던 시절에는 소매업체의 생명줄이었지만, 온라인 쇼핑 경험과 현지 소비자의 빠르고 간편한 픽업이 결합되어 편의성 측면에서 큰 진전을 이루었습니다. 그리고 이러한 추세는 오프라인 쇼핑이 다시 회복되더라도 계속될 것입니다. 새로운 편의성의 표준이 존재하는 지금, 민첩하고 유연하며 소비자에게 집중하는 것이 리테일러에게 매우 중요할 것입니다.
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.
주요 연말 이벤트를 앞두고 리테일러가 할 수 있는 3가지 일:
- 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 측정 on how the campaigns resonated
