Retail and E-Commerce Become One
Convenient Delivery
This means that traditional shopping – with patrons visiting premises and choosing from the stock on offer – will decrease. Any suppliers wanting to remain with a predominantly physical presence will find themselves suffering as customers turn to what is more convenient. Even shops like convenience stores who rely on gaining custom out of hours and at weekends, might find themselves struggling as delivery times shorten – some deliveries can already happen within hours of ordering – and people use their devices to order that much-needed milk or bread.
Ethical Concerns
There is a hesitation at present in the growth of online, in part, due to ethical concerns over the treatment of workers and the growing introduction of robots over manpower: driving down costs to management but forcing people either out of work or into long hours in dangerous warehouses. If these large companies can overcome their labour issues, then the convenience of shopping online and having your purchases delivered to your home is sure to win over the public once more.
Pop-Up to the Future
Where a physical presence is needed, there is a growing provision of multi-function spaces – large premises that can be hired for a day or a month in order for events to be held. Whether they are pop-up offerings, promotional or celebratory events, while the real business continues uninterrupted thanks to the online presence that allows people to do their shopping first thing in the morning, just before bed, or even at 3am on a sleepless night.
Insta-commerce
Finally, social commerce is on the rise. Almost everyone has heard of influencers, Instagrammers or YouTubers who promote products or lifestyles to their thousands of followers. This trend began with pap-shots of celebs or royals in certain dresses or clothing items that then sold out within minutes. The trend is increasingly being monetised by social media savants who seize on popular culture and trends to instantly decree changes in tastes and styles.
This insta-culture can be worrisome as there is little in the way of regulation so far, but it is a very visible platform and any unsafe claims (extreme eating regimens, Gwyneth Paltrow's notorious jade egg, or encouragement to perform dangerous stunts or trespass on private property) are usually called out promptly.
The overall trend for e-commerce is a shift away from trust in large impersonal corporations and towards companies that have a recognisable 'face' attached to them. A good social media presence and prompt responses to queries and issues all help to establish a business as offering good customer service and being generally trustworthy.
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This is super interestering I totally agree I think there has been a big movement in approaching ads with a 'face' its much more personal isn't it x
ReplyDeleteI think there are good things and bad things about insta-commerce, I do worry about the ever increasing number of physical shops which are closing down due to decreased foot traffic.
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