If you’ve been enjoying the comfort of sitting on the couch while doing a bit of online shopping for the last couple of months, you are not alone.
The way we shop has permanently changed. The transition from brick-and-mortar to eCommerce during the pandemic has been evident. By taking our shopping online we’ve changed how we search and discover new brands and services.
But the biggest question post lockdown is which of these new behaviours are here to stay?
Google research is providing more details on the long-term changes in shopping behaviours at both a consumer and sector-by-sector level.
With the drastic shift to digital online experiences are now more important than ever. Consumers are exposed to new products and services whether they are shopping or scrolling through TikTok.
Data is showing that the shift to online is here to stay. In the fashion, beauty, and telecommunications industries, the percentage of consumers saying they will shop or expect to shop online versus in-store in the next six months remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. While the younger end of the spectrum are still the most likely to shop online, the biggest increase in those switching to online retail are aged 35 and above.
As consumers continue to value the convenience that online shopping offers even after the pandemic, meeting rising online expectations (such as ensuring that you have a mobile-friendly website) is key for continued success.
With online window shopping, consumers are exploring and evaluating their options in the ‘messy middle’ of the online purchase journey.
The audience online is now more diverse than ever before. Generic searches are up across all industries. The way they search has drastically changed and therefore our strategies need to adapt to be broader and more automated in order to reflect that.
Consumers are less decided than ever when shopping online, presenting valuable opportunities for purchase choices to be disrupted. As we navigate this post lockdown digital world it has become clear that brands need to make sure they are visible on all platforms.
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Reference: Post Lockdown UK, 2021 by Google
