Growth of E-Commerce After COVID-19
E-commerce has soared high and saved the day during the pandemic situation. There has been a 35% growth in e-services, and this is bound to increase. It has become a daily part of people’s lives, browsing through online shops or watching small-business reels on Instagram. It shouldn’t be surprising if e-commerce takes over the market in a few years. As one cannot leave the comforts of their homes, having something home or re-delivered is exhilarating. It is that small glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal state. Selling and buying of commodities is an essential service that has found creative new methods thanks to e-commerce web development.
ADD TO CART
If you had a dollar for every time you caught yourself browsing for products, you’d finally be able to afford everything on your cart! Online shopping offers various choices, and one can take their time to browse and decide. Online shopping takes away the horror of leaving the house and taking all the necessary precautions. Sure the products one buys should be sanitised and disinfected before use. Since the situation has been hard on everyone, some people turn to retail therapy. Retailers bank on this and use click-baits and AI software to trick you into buying more than you need. Companies like Amazon, Walmart, Ebay have seen more than 15% growth in the last fiscal year and are continuously growing. Retailers are investing in being more digitally robust and finding more technologically advanced methods to increase sales.
EVERYTHING’S SO ONLINE
The pandemic forced every service to become digitally available. Whether it is a doctor’s appointment or your favourite Zumba class, it became all a click away. Joining the meeting link is the new text for me. Most leading companies provide online services. These include fitness classes, yoga, therapy, physio etc. E-service providers like Zoom, Google Meet, WebEx have been lifesavers during this difficult time. These have become the platforms connecting customers to providers. Online payment platforms have also been a huge boon. Smooth conduction of payments and services is what attracts customers to take them. The virtual world has provided new opportunities, as more can be done at the same time.
TAKE THAT CLASS
Did you always want to learn the guitar or block painting? Did you always want to join a reading club but did not get the time?
Last year has seen a greater increase in e-learning. Not just for school and university students, people of all age groups have started going back to lost hobbies and passions. The simplicity of joining a class is what has boosted a lot of teachers to give online training. There is no commute time, so many people have signed up for courses to learn new skills. No time like now to improve your resume with additional skills. The internet has made it easy to connect with maestros worldwide and get the most effective training. Whether it is music, art, dance or programming languages, one finally has the time to do what they really enjoy. People save up on commute time and utilize it for joining more courses.
SMALL IS BIG
Small business owners have really found a voice digitally. Through social media and directed advertisements, people are turning to them for their needs. Gone are the days when people only had one or two trusted brands. Instead, people are promoting and giving chances to small businesses. Handmade and creative products are catching the eyes of the buyers. In this age, when everything is a must-have, unique and new products are big sellers.
Instagram reels have really helped people have a greater reach and increase their customers. This has also helped a lot of social media influencers. Small businesses hire them for paid partnerships for their reach and influence. This is a win-win situation for both parties.
Product delivery services are being hired by small businesses for the safe and timely delivery of their products. Once upon a time, people would wait for the mailman, mow people wait for the delivery person.
Small businesses have had a positive response recently. Along with themselves, they also uplift a lot of intermediate services along them.
NETFLIX AND CHILL
Since people are bored and inside their houses, they are bound to get bored. OTT and digital marketing platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu are experiencing atypical gains in subscribers since March 2020. They offer a greater variety than national broadcasting channels and can be accessed at any time. The more the number of subscribers, the more this industry grows. This industry has also provided employment opportunities to a lot of unsung talents. It has also created opportunities to create more and completely digital shows. Now you can easily binge on your favourite shows from all over the world and from any period.
HOME CHEFS
Food is the most basic necessity. For people who have been estranged away from their families and loved ones in such a time, the closest thing to home was home-style food. This gave home chefs to grow. They cater to the dietary requirements of people and provide a nourishing meal. Most of them are subscription-based and have seen a surge of people reaching out to them, especially in the same zip code. Home chefs have special meals for COVID patients as well. They have really helped some people who were in dire need of it.
HERE TO STAY
E-commerce is bound to see further growth in the coming years. It is estimated that retail e-Commerce sales may reach up to $5 trillion by the end of 2021.
Yes, the world is living in a bit of a flux. People are trying their best to adapt to this situation and get their bearings. This means rapidly evolving trading and services practices. Business owners will have to look for more technological resources to increase their growth and reach. They will have to remodel themselves along with the changing world. Industries like food, textiles, fashion and education especially will see rapid growth. Betterment in customer service will also see greater improvement in the coming years.
An increase in internet accessibility and accessibility worldwide and ease of transaction will make e-commerce the major contributor to worldwide trade.