TOMORROW’S E-COMMERCE “NEW NORMAL” MIGHT LOOK A LOT LIKE THE OLD NORMAL
• Many have added online, delivery, and pick-up options (local restaurants, Instacart, Amazon, online banking, etc.) to help get them what they need during the pandemic in the safest way they can.
• Online and delivery services may see a slightly increased use in the long-term, but many are excited to go back to doing things the way they’ve always done. They weren’t avoiding the services for reasons of uncertainty or confusion, but rather a lack of fit. Those who are forced to use these services often don’t like them – they’re expensive, impersonal, and somewhat painful for those who weren’t using them before.
“Food delivery from restaurants is nice, and I may continue to use it from time to time. I like to go to restaurants to socialize with my friends and family as well as having a nice meal, so ordering for delivery will only be occasional. It is nice, though, to know that these services are out there when you need them.” (Boomer, female)
“I have never wanted to deposit checks except at a bank. Now that I’ve done it successfully, I think I will continue to do it. I will always be an in-store grocery shopper. I can get better deals and use more coupons shopping the sales and at multiple stores. Online is more nebulous at the moment.” (Gen X, female)
STREAMING AND COMMUNICATIONS TECH MAY RIDE A LONGER-TERM WAVE OF CONSUMER EXCITEMENT
• When it comes to new services they love, enthusiasm around streaming services far surpasses the delivery services– many talk about streaming shows, educational content, content from zoos and museums, etc. They love the ease and variety of the entertainment that’s suddenly available.
• Additionally, communication tools like Zoom, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, etc. are finding adoption and satisfaction. While these services may find decreased use cases in the future, it’s likely that many will use them in place of phone calls or FaceTime or to supplement in-person visits.
“For Zoom, the service is just so simple for easy non-tech savvy people to use. It also has fun features like adding different backgrounds. For more casual meetings or chats with friends, I have “spiced things up” by putting myself in front of a beach background. I think it helps to fight the cabin fever and relieve some stress!” (Millennial, female)
SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE TEMPORARY PERMISSION TO EXPERIMENT AND INNOVATE, EVEN IF THERE ARE HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY
• People are really forgiving… for now. Consumers are happy to see their local establishments scrambling to survive the economic downturn and change how they’re doing business, and are showing this happiness with both their wallets and attitudes. There are plenty of mistakes – out of stock, wrong orders, long delivery times, payment snafus, fees – but most people are putting punishment on hold because of current conditions.
• This may be a great time for businesses to get a difficult or intimidating system up and running for the future, since customers are more likely to forgive mistakes.
• Still, businesses need to take care that they do not appear opportunistic – these changes must be framed as a way to continue serving their customers in a difficult time, not as a way to take advantage of relaxed expectations.
“I’m hoping our local, privately owned, shops and restaurants continue to offer curbside pickup. I think they are finding that people are supporting this transition.” (Gen X, female)
“We’ve had a couple of problems with a store’s website being down or too overwhelmed to function properly, but I don’t fault the store for that. I’m actually amazed at how everyone is pulling together, and trying to get us through this with the least amount of disruption.” (Boomer, female)
Interested in learning about how people are entertaining themselves during social distancing? We’ll have more findings next week! Contact Ken Lethbridge at klethbridge@insideoutisnights.com to get on the list for a more in-depth version of our learnings.