How will our shopping habits be influenced by COVID-19

In the past, there was a certain thrill to make in-store purchases. It would be easier to evaluate the quality of the product and even haggle with the store manager to get good discounts. However, with online shopping taking over during COVID-19 era, the need for in-store shopping has become less necessary. Apprehension towards safe online shopping is still prevalent as well as the lack of technology to reach a wider audience. Despite these concerns, the COVID era has been a boon to the e-commerce industry as the gravity of sales and transactions they have been receiving has escalated tremendously. Many brands have also resorted to promote their online sites with all might to receive the attention of their loyal customers.

The need to shop online and seek for products with brand recognition has seen a massive change. When people visit Amazon, they do not look for branded products as much as they seek the availability of quality products. Statistical analysis state that before the pandemic, 48 per cent of consumers were influenced by the quality provided while 47 per cent assumed price to be of importance. The post COVID era has seen a transformation with respect to online shopping trends. The drive to make the purchase depends heavily on the availability of the product. About 49 per cent are influenced by the availability of the product with price and quality to be followed. Due to a dearth of essentials in the market, the need to stock up or purchase any brands of available goods is of primal importance to a shopper. More than the brand, the focus is on the availability of the product.

One of the biggest shopping trends to have taken charge during COVID-19 is stocking up. The unpredictable nature of the climate, the COVID-19 pandemic and the constant change in regulations laid out by the government has left individuals rather anxious and hoarders too. Shopping online in the time of COVID-19 has resulted in people directly making massive purchases of products and hoarding them to ensure that they do not suffer the dearth of it. In fact, in the initial days of COVID-19, the purchase of essentials left grave deficiency in the market. Although the shopping behaviour has altered since as the presence of goods have been restocked in the market, it has cultivated a trend to hoard. People now make bulk purchases as they do not wish to step outside the house and follow the lockdown laws religiously.

The concerning surrounding e-commerce continues to haunt online shoppers. While e-commerce has been part of our lives for some time now, the trust towards an in-store shopping continues to remain prevalent. Even though you are drawn towards all the exciting products as you browse through social media, not always are you able to make the final purchase. Many businesses are taking their shops to social media to entice the shoppers and to enhance their sales. However, not all of them are successful in their pursuit to attract an audience who would trust them and their product for purchase. While Instagram might be the best place to peruse through online purchases, the lack of trust makes it difficult for budding brands to make a mark. Despite the visibility, the challenges for the businesses include finding the trust of the shoppers. There is hesitation as the pandemic has enabled difficulty in making in-store purchases. But there is still scope for things to change and for smaller brands to become big businesses.

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