BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: The pandemic spotlighted how important convenient e-commerce is for shoppers, and you must be taking steps to address this.
The pandemic changed the face of how we do business. Whether you’re a two-person store or an industrial operation, you probably found yourself looking for ways to pivot so that orders kept coming in and customers got their printed merch. On the customer-facing side, things also changed drastically.
A shift in expectations
We’re not just talking about people ordering off of GrubHub and Amazon. The way shoppers’ expectations changed during COVID affected the entire e-commerce world, which continues to resonate.
If you want some complex numbers, take a look at a recent study by our friends at Auctane.
They’re a team of shipping and software experts who put together a report commissioned by the web-based shipping platform ShipStation. Auctane found that almost 40% of consumers spent more on retail in 2020 than they did in 2019, and 37% of U.S. customers expect to spend more in 2021.
Here are a few other things you’ll learn in the full report that are important for your business:
Shipping is still a huge dealbreaker. Because people are used to shopping on platforms like Amazon, the survey found that customers prefer free shipping whenever possible. If that’s not an option, they want clear communication on shipping ETAs and costs to know their final price.
Online shopping will outlast COVID. Even once the virus is in the rearview mirror, a large amount of surveyed U.S. shoppers said they prefer to continue shopping online. If you’re taking advantage of InkSoft’s online stores, you’ll have all the right tools at your fingertips.
People will pay more for products that support small businesses. Customers are more likely to spend money with you if you’ve got a rock-solid approach to production management, even if you can’t always price-match the big print houses.
Some shoppers are still stocking up. Auctane found that more than 50% of consumers bought in bulk even a year after the lockdown. Using handy tools like web-to-print stores, you can avoid complicated inventory issues and meet orders of varying sizes.
Be sure to check out the full report from Auctane here, where you’ll find lots of other interesting findings on how shoppers are changing and what you need to pay attention to.
Want to learn more about how InkSoft can help you meet these consumer demands? Book a 15-minute virtual tour with us so we can show you how to master your e-commerce game.
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