The dawn of the online shopping era (ecommerce platforms)
While eCommerce and cloud technologies aren’t new, for certain retailers, Covid-19 has compressed years of digital commerce transformation into only a few months. Big businesses have had to rework their eCommerce experiences swiftly, while some smaller retailers have launched their first online sales. Consumers, too, are adapting quickly. (ecommerce platforms)
Life in quarantine is influencing customer behaviours in Italy and Spain, whose eCommerce usage rates are among the lowest in Europe, accounting for only 4% and 5% of total retail revenues, respectively, according to the Centre for Retail Research.
Carrefour claimed that online consumers in Italy have doubled, and sales through a cooperation with logistics provider Glovo, which allows for quick delivery (30 minutes or less) for select items in some Italian cities, have increased significantly. According to Cross-Border Magazine in Spain, online sales increased by 55 percent in March.
It isn’t simply food retail that is doing well on the internet. Harrods, the prestigious department store, revamped its eCommerce online just one month before it had to close its doors. They confirmed that since its inception, the webstore has performed substantially above expectations. Inditex, the parent company of Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Pull & Bear, claimed a 50 percent increase in online sales in the first quarter of 2020, with a 95 percent gain in April alone.
Using the cloud to stay operational (ecommerce platforms)
Cloud solutions were also crucial for ensuring business continuity during the Covid-19 lockdowns. A crisis of this magnitude in the past would have brought company procedures and productivity to a halt. Many people may now work from home thanks to cloud technology, allowing retailers to continue running relatively effortlessly even during weeks and months of complete chaos.
With eCommerce, the ability to scale with the cloud is especially vital. Businesses that had already adopted a cloud strategy before to Covid-19 were able to respond and scale up considerably more quickly than their competitors in order to meet enormous demand. While some businesses have had to temporarily shut down their websites due to the high volume of clients buying online, those using the cloud have remained stable and operating.
Making plans for the future (ecommerce platforms)
Even if physical locations reopen, companies’ long-term strategy will continue to rely heavily on eCommerce and cloud technologies.
Under normal trading conditions, there were compelling economic justifications for using cloud computing, but the coronavirus pandemic has clearly emphasised its benefits to even the most sceptics of retail store owners. Cloud deployments have shown to be essential in allowing businesses to continue running while quickly adapting workloads and procedures, as well as supporting remote workforces.
The Coca-Cola Company’s senior vice president and chief information and integrated services officer, Barry Simpson, said, “This cooperation with Microsoft allows us to truly dramatically alter our employee experience by replacing previously disjointed and fragmented technologies.” “As we network our organisation, these platforms enable us to create relevant, individualised experiences.”
How to make cloud computing and eCommerce work for you
This catastrophe could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform your company for the better. With this in mind, here are three measures any store can do to improve customer service and strengthen their business:
1. Close the online-offline divide
Until recently, we wouldn’t have considered purchasing certain products online without first seeing and trying them on. Take anything as simple as eyewear, a mattress, or even a cake. Before making a purchase, the average buyer would like to see and feel these things in person. However, as retailers discover new ways to bring the shopping experience into consumers’ homes, this is no longer the case.
Retailers who use unified commerce platforms, which combine several channels into a single software solution and database, are better positioned to develop digital experiences that combine online and offline functions, such as click and collect. No matter the sales channel, a unified commerce technology platform allows you to keep track of sales, inventories, and customer preferences in real time.
2. Be willing to scale
Many merchants have witnessed an increase in online sales, however others have been unable to keep up with demand due to increased traffic and sales. What has been your experience with your online store? Would it be able to withstand a surge in traffic or would it crash, disappointing your customers?
Today’s retailers must be ready for unpredictably high internet sales at any time of year, not only on Black Friday and Christmas Eve. Moving to a contemporary, adaptable, cloud-based commerce platform that can easily downsize or extend as needed and handle traffic spikes is a viable option.
3. Adapt to shifting consumer demands
You can take advantage of all the innovation happening in the cloud when you use cloud-based technologies. This adaptability, especially during times of transition, can help you not just see but also respond to consumer needs. Demand forecasting and modelling software can help you anticipate and prepare for large changes in customer behaviour, allowing you to adjust your product mix, merchandising, pricing tactics, and even messaging. Machine learning and data analytics solutions can assist you in reducing waste and overhead. AI can also assist build better customer experiences by automating customer care with virtual agents who can answer frequently asked questions and direct customers’ inquiries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Although the coronavirus outbreak will subside, consumer shopping patterns may have irreversibly changed. Retailers must continue to do what they have always done in order to stay in business: listen to their consumers’ needs and supply the products, services, and experiences they require. Today, digital transformation can assist you in responding effectively by allowing you to move to the cloud, implement cloud technologies that improve scalability and agility, and provide you with the insights you need to provide your customers with exactly what they want at precisely the right time.
Source: ecommerce platforms , online selling platform
