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The last few years have seen several significant changes in how people shop. These changes have been driven by the rise of e-commerce and changing consumer habits and preferences. In addition, new technologies have accelerated the rate at which online shopping has become more popular than in-store shopping.
These trends have had a significant impact on the way consumers shop today. Still, they have also created opportunities for companies willing to adapt quickly to these changes and take advantage of them to stay ahead of the curve.
These companies have likely had to get up to speed on how to ship a package, have had to study the new needs of their customers, and, most importantly, stay competitive in their industry without risking being overtaken by competitors.
E-commerce and Self-shopping
E-commerce has grown exponentially recently, and the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend. As a result, consumers are increasingly aware of the benefits of online shopping: convenience, vast product selection, and competitive prices.
In addition, e-commerce stores often offer a better experience than traditional stores, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence to customize offers based on users' preferences.
Self-shopping is another aspect that is changing retail. Consumers are increasingly willing to take advantage of the convenience offered by self-shopping, such as the ability to make purchases completely independently at every stage, starting with product selection and ending with the time of payment and delivery of goods.
Finally, not only the purchase of physical products has changed, but also how consumers behave when buying services.
Being cooped up within four walls has also positively affected users' desire to view entertainment material. This has led to a whopping 20 percent increase in subscribers for Tik Tok and a 43 percent increase in Mark Zuckerberg's social network, Facebook. In addition, popular pay TV subscriptions like Netflix, or online gaming platforms offering the best video games or casino games, as detailed on this platform, have increased since 2020.
Today, these habits have remained the same, becoming part of digital habits in the post-pandemic era. Not surprisingly, most of those who activated these subscriptions also continued renewing them.
Also, online journalism has been more successful since the pandemic's beginning precisely because people have begun to inform themselves much more than before. Therefore, besides the traditional, we have become more accustomed to following digital newspapers.
This "new" way of informing oneself has also become part of digital habits in the post-pandemic period. Therefore, what looked like an industry in crisis has come to its senses in a short time.
Where to shop?
First of all, it is essential to consider where you shop. Online shopping is now the most popular choice for shopping, especially in the United States.
This translates into a 20-30% increase in e-commerce sales worldwide, thanks in part to the emergence of newer and newer platforms that allow not only buying and selling between businesses and individuals but also between individuals themselves, who are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of industrial production and are therefore looking to give new life to used items and clothing.
Second, online stores are just one of the options for shopping. Recall that shopping malls were closed in many countries for several months during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, and consumers have become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of online shopping. That is why people sometimes opt for local stores and neighborhood markets offering fresh, zero-mile produce.
Changing consumer behavior: mobile and the rise of artificial intelligence
Consumer behavior has changed dramatically in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Consumers are increasingly interested in purchasing products online and searching for product information via mobile devices.
Consumers have new advantages available to them for making online purchases, such as:
- blockchain, which is a technology that can enable greater control over data and can be used to track transactions;
- augmented reality, which allows users to interact with their surroundings in a more immersive and realistic way;
- virtual reality offers a new experience where users can explore artificial worlds.
Mobile marketing is playing a pivotal role in changing and evolving consumer behavior. Novelties such as blockchain, augmented reality, and virtual reality offers new benefits for consumers, who are increasingly interested in these technologies and willing to use them to purchase.
Most common purchases during the pandemic
Not only did the way people buy change, but also the products they put in their digital shopping carts. No one knew how long the quarantine would last; in fact, food purchases have soared, especially those with a long shelf life. Coffee and canned tuna were the most purchased food items online.
The school closure began a difficult period for parents, who had to combine smart working with long and endless hours of distance learning.
As a natural consequence, crayons, sketchbooks, and tubes of tempera were increasingly present in online shopping carts, whether for educational needs or to entertain the little ones during quarantine.
The main object of desire during the Covid emergency remains masks, considered by many to be one of the most effective protective tools for avoiding infection. In the most acute stages of the pandemic, they were virtually unavailable and sold out too quickly, both in pharmacies and online stores.
Gradually, shopping habits have returned to normal, but one change we will certainly take with us is a greater reliance on e-commerce and digital shopping.
