We’re witnessing history being made with the COVID-19 virus running rampant in society. This is an event that children will read about 10 years from now in their History textbooks (or whatever digital medium is the most used by then?).
This global pandemic is of a scale that has brought the whole world to its knees. Its impact has been more than significant, to say the least. The whole world has morphed and changed because of it. Social distancing protocols have made doing business very challenging, no matter what kind.
The worst part of this virus and the disease is that it is silent and goes unnoticed for the most part. You never know where you’ll catch it and when.
So many businesses have suffered because of the pandemic. Restaurants, bars, movie theaters, gyms, and hotels have all dwindled in their turnovers, and the major cities have suffered the most.
The worst part is that there seems to be no defined end that can be projected to this turmoil. That is why everyone has started focusing on alternatives, shutting down their businesses and moving on, or adapting by dealing with losses and trying to keep their head above water. Office workers now have to work remotely full-time. These changes and more have changed the common people’s perspective on daily life too.
The New Normal
Now people hesitate in going out to buy products and daily needs requirements. Shopping malls, grocery stores, and shops are now being completely replaced by online shopping.
Not a long time ago when e-commerce was still a fresh prospect, people used it to buy novelty items. Then came around the wave of online shopping where you could buy practically anything you want online, with lucrative deals on offer. If a piece of clothing doesn’t fit you, you can just have it returned and replaced with something else that does.
Eventually, the online market place turned into a fully-fledged shop where you could buy anything that your daily requirements dictate. From groceries to fresh vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Everything can be bought online now. And with the new social distancing protocols in place, it’s best to not be surrounded by other people, and restrict your human interaction down to the one delivery executive that brings you your stuff.
The Growing Boom of E-Commerce
From a strictly business perspective, the Indian e-commerce market is projected to grow over its USA counterpart to turn into the second largest online bazaar in the world by 2034. The projection predicts that the market will grow from $30 billion to $200 billion in about 9 years. The top-dogs of the e-commerce game, China are still a little farfetched goal to touch. Sitting on the throne of e-commerce at a value of $672 billion, China is leaps and bounds ahead of their competition.
Panic Buying and Coping with the Virus
When the initial news of the COVID-19 virus started spreading, people everywhere were in a state of panic. With very little information and the threat of death hanging over people’s heads, people started to stock up like it was doomsday.
Even shipping services were suspended in the first wave of total lockdown. That is why, when e-commerce was one of the first services to resume, people started to abuse their wallets and buy as much as they could, because at any time it could’ve been announced that the services are being locked down again.
It can also be called retail therapy, where people were just calming themselves down by generating dopamine from buying new things. All these factors and more have helped e-commerce in being the next great business to get into. Everyone likes the convenience that buying things online brings.
How Safe is It to Order Online?
According to the studies conducted, the virus can stay alive on solid surfaces from anywhere between 3 hours to 3 days. The studies are still not very conclusive because of the limited time we’ve had with the virus. But regardless, from the time that it takes to package and ship your product (which is now extended because of slow shipping), practically all threat of you catching a virus through your package is minimized.
You should still use an aerosol sanitization spray to neutralize the packages you receive and wait for a few hours before you bring them in and touch them.
Conclusion
No matter how optimistic we get, some things have definitely changed for good. This pandemic may not last forever, but the changes it brings are going to stick around. Some people are now used to the serenity of isolation, and dealing with fewer people, and being in fewer social scenarios.
They are now spoiled for the option of ordering things online and getting things delivered to them at the comfort of their home. These changes make it a good time to get into the e-commerce business. It is the right time for prospective businesses that can sell products online.
For further information on E-commerce Marketing, you may contact us or visit our website www.bmconsulting.in
**This blog is compiled by Divyanshu Gupta