COVID-19 is the first global pandemic of the online age. It has accelerated digital adoption in ways and at speeds we couldn’t predict, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Undoubtedly there are still challenges ahead, but agile, forward-thinking businesses have already been able to find ways to better serve their customers in our fast-changing, increasingly online world.
Above all, e-commerce has shown its importance, with research from the Office for National Statistics showing online sales soaring from 20% share of total retail sales last year to more than 30% in every month since April this year. Unexpected trends from gardening to barista-style coffee making have gripped the world in lockdown, as people look for new ways to occupy their time at home. And, in the last six months, new categories like DIY haircare have emerged, as consumers seek a semblance of normal — even if the results were anything but.
In rapidly-changing times, it’s essential to be able to meet consumer demands in the moment, but also make the changes that ensure your business thrives in years to come. That can be a difficult balance to strike, but it’s increasingly clear that a multichannel strategy will be the best way to serve consumers as their purchase decisions become more messy and channel-agnostic. To simplify that process, this cheat sheet offers retail marketers three simple ways to pivot and prepare your business for the Christmas shopping season. Specifically, you’ll learn to:
- Make your strategy digital first
- Mix up your channels and build a robust multichannel strategy
- Use tools to turn signals into action
It highlights what you should know, suggests tools to tap into, and reveals the next steps you should take to help every customer get what they want this Christmas. Because with new thinking, channels, and tools, it is possible for businesses at every scale to transform and thrive.
