As September rolls around, many of us are ready to get back to routine. Most of us feel like the fall is time to settle back in and get serious anyway-summer vacation is over, and we’re busy at work. The kids usually head back to school and activities.
This year will be different in some ways, especially for parents. Managing work, school, buses, kid activities have all been reshaped and requiring more hands-on-planning in a world where everyone was hoping and craving routine more than ever. For now, familiar routines are being reinvented and things like remote work are going to stick around.
These behaviour changes are true in the marketing world as well. We’re seeing dramatic shifts in consumer behaviour. While it might seem like people changed their buying habits overnight, many of those behaviours have become sticky.
So, what does this new consumer mindset look like? How can we as Marketers adjust to it? Here are some thoughts to consider.
So Long, Bricks-and-Mortar
Online shopping has been growing for years now. It’s seen a real push in the last few years, but that was still nothing compared to the shove the pandemic gave it. Experts say our online shopping behaviour jumped eCommerce anywhere from four to six years into the future.
This shift has come at the cost of our bricks-and-mortar operations. Many of our physical stores were struggling before the pandemic hit. High rent and competition against online shopping were taking their toll on brands. We can see that in the bankruptcy of major clothing chains and the death of department stores like Sears.
Physical shops are going to continue to struggle. People have less time and the new consumer mindset isn’t focused so much on convenience but safety. People are worried about going in to physical shops- is it really safe? And what if the store doesn’t even have the item they want or the colour or their size? Is it worth the risk?
Convenience and safety are driving more consumers to try and solve their needs through e-commerce. Customers can go online, check stock, order the exact item they want in the colour and size they want. Then it’s shipped right to their door-and there’s no need for them to see another person face-to-face. With…
