The novel coronavirus brought with itself a situation that can only be best described as a global pandemic. Countless lives have born the brunt of this disease, businesses have struggled, people have lost their ability to pay rent on time and the horrors just keep piling up it seems. However, there is one thing that has transitioned into a thing of beauty. Wondering what must that be?

Consumer Behaviour has been through an evolving journey during these tough times. Disposable income has declined considerably and this blog will talk about how you can study and analyze the behaviour of today’s customers well enough to grow your business. Keep reading to find out more!

1. The ‘Vocal for Local’ Movement

If there is one thing that has become apparent until now, it is that people have started to realize how dependent we are and have always been on China for products and services. The consumer buying behaviour has seen a massive shift from supporting Chinese companies and brands to preferring ‘Made in India’ products.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have become cautious of whatever is made in China and now, they are joining the bandwagon that encourages Indian small and medium businesses to rise to the forefront of this battle. In other words, India is now working towards becoming a self-sufficient country and people are supporting this sentiment by displaying a visible shift in their consumer behaviour towards these local businesses.

So yes, if you’re looking to start a small business, go ahead. This is the right time to get into a venture that will most probably be supported by your audience.

• Focus on Health and Hygiene

Did you know that according to 2 recent reports released by Shiprocket (Pre-COVID and Post-Unlock 1.0), it was suggested that before the coronavirus took over, demand for ‘Fashion and Apparels’ was on a high, sitting at 34% as compared to the ‘Health and Beauty Retail’ that showed a buying behaviour figure of 22%?

Now, look at what we have for you in the post-Unlock segment.

After Unlock 1.0, the demand for Health and Beauty Retail jumped to 32% and at the same time, demand for Fashion and Apparels declined to 28%. Clearly, this implies that consumer behaviour has shifted from spending on clothing and fashion to aggressively spending on products related to health and hygiene.

3. Online Shopping Rises to the Occasion

This is the fact of the matter – offline retail is losing its charm in these times. The current consumer behaviour model suggests that people are more interested in online shopping and doorstep delivery. After all, isn’t that why the hyperlocal delivery market is booming right now?

If you’re a seller who still hasn’t adapted to the current business and consumer scenario, then we suggest that you get started with our free eCommerce store builder right away. Our easy-to-use site builder helps you create an online shop for free of cost. Because considering how in-demand online shopping is right now, we think you should be whipping out your laptop any second to get started with streamlined social selling.

• Social Media is Trending

Consumers are getting super active on social media. They are reviewing products and services for their pleasure and also spreading the message like wildfire in case their feedback is negative. Therefore, you need to make sure that your business is always interacting and engaging with the customers on these social platforms. Integrate your website with your Facebook store and start catering to your audience in a seamless, systematic fashion.

So what is the moral of the story here?

Well, you need to closely follow the consumer behaviour track because this might be one of the most important things for your business right now. Digitize as many parts of your business as you can. Because the more you digitize, the more efficiently your online store will function.

The post 4 Ways Consumer Behaviour has Changed During The Times of COVID-19 appeared first on Shiprocket Social Sellers.