How The Pandemic Has Shaped Consumer Buying Behaviours

Every business owner is aware that consumer buying habits have completely shifted during the pandemic. Many have had to adapt to meet these demands seemingly overnight. Now, 7 months in and with no end in sight, we’re living through what’s considered to be the new normal indefinitely. To help set you up for success, we’ve compiled some of the most noticeably different Canadian trends based on how the ongoing pandemic has shaped consumer buying behaviours since the beginning of the pandemic .

1. An increase in online shopping

It’s no surprise that people shop online A LOT more nowadays than they did pre-pandemic. Even as stores have reopened, 51% of people still feel uncomfortable making their purchases in person. 81% of consumers surveyed by Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify said that they planned to continue to shop online throughout the rest of 2020. In other words – adapt your e-commerce strategy accordingly!

2. A preference for virtual experiences

We’ve all discovered the wonders of Zoom over the past seven months. But it’s not just for business meetings and family catch-up calls! Yoga studios are offering virtual classes, in-person events are being held online and courses are now entirely digital. Adapt your offering to include something virtual! The options are numerous – in fact, just today, one of our team members opened a bank account and RRSP over a Zoom call. If you tap into your creativity, you’ll see that there are many ways that your business can pull in income online.

3. An interest in buying within the community

Small, independent businesses are the ones who have suffered most during the pandemic. As a result, people are increasingly interested in helping to support them – whether that means doing their groceries at an independent grocer instead of a big box store, buying clothes from small boutiques instead of fast fashion chains or doing home projects with the help of a local hardware store. Convince your community how special your product or service is, and they’re likely to support you in return.

In need of ideas and struggling to adapt your business to meet the needs of our current reality? Give Skyfall Blue a call today at 613-912-7780 and we’ll help you build a winning online marketing strategy.