Our lives change over the years. THE technology it is gaining ground and our habits are shaped by our needs. We can do most things with just a few clicks mobile our phone without even opening the door of our house.
After the lockdown that was imposed due to the coronavirus and after several days of quarantine we can even say that we were trained even in the clicks to become… less. But he is not the only one responsible coronavirus for the changes in our habits just this deadly virus turned our attention to protecting our health by helping to simplify the rest of our functions. Digital technology is nothing new. Especially in the last decade, they are increasingly recruited to give the public the opportunity to make their purchase. products who wants to adapt to his needs and, of course, to spend less time.
But we must not forget that the walk in stores and the joy that shopping can offer is irreplaceable. There is a reason why this whole process is called shopping therapy. Shopping improves one's mood and is essentially a reward for oneself. Shopping for many people is the main mechanism for managing many psychological issues but also part of their social life.
But what will happen in the coming years? Will retail stores change form? Will there be enough to put a padlock? Will loyal shopping enthusiasts give up physical stores or will shopping with friends continue to be a habit that will never change?
Constantly conducted research shows that their popularity online stores moves at high levels and how purchases in physical stores. decrease. Lately, this phenomenon has become even more intense due to the pandemic of coronary heart disease.
Especially in our country, the spread of the pandemic of this deadly virus has catalyzed the daily life of the Greeks. consumers. According to a recent Nielsen survey, 49% of Greeks say they plan to visit the supermarket's physical stores less and less frequently, in an effort to obviously limit contact with other people as much as possible.
According to Nielsen, their intention seems to have affected the type of store they choose for their purchases, as they want to reduce their purchases. travel, making larger baskets. So among the different store typologies, the largest stores, over 2.500 sq.m. are the ones that are growing at the rate of + 20,1%, followed by the big super markets (1000-2.500 sq.m. commercial area), which have increased their sales, compared to the corresponding period last year of a 'quarter of the year, by + 12,1%.
Increase up to 171% per week, compared to the same week of 2019, was observed in consumer spending products in electronically stores by Greeks in April, according to the results of a survey by the Hellenic Association of Electronic Commerce.
The Hellenic Association of Electronic Commerce expects with great interest the evaluation of May where the physical network of commercial stores will now be active.
The shift to e-commerce is a global phenomenon. In Latin America, for example, 13 million cardholders Visa They made the transaction online for the first time in the first quarter of 2020, product director Jack Forestell told Marketwatch.
The size represents about 2 in 10 active Visa holders in the area.
"It simply came to our notice then e-commerceSaid Forestell, as the pandemic catalyzes trends that have already penetrated the payment industry.
Momentum is not limited to Latin America. Visa saw an 18% increase in e-commerce spending in the US in April, excluding the travel industry, as face-to-face transactions shrank by 45%.
Although the adoption of e-commerce was on the rise before the pandemic, Forestell sees an opportunity to improve the digital shopping experience now that more people are relying on the internet to get what they want during the crisis.
The "corrosion" of physical stores is something we've been seeing happen for years, according to Forbes, but coronation and lockdown have made retailers even more uncertain about their future.
The retailers' response to this erosion was mainly resistance. They have tried and are trying by all means to maintain the old role of the store in terms of the overall shopping experience.
Even opportunities such as "buy online pickup in store" find shopkeepers opposed because of their concerns about maintaining store superiority or even because of questions such as "who gets credit for the sale?".
However, it is easy to understand why it is so difficult to remove the central role of the store in the retail business.
The dilemma of any business is clear. "Can the source of income be sacrificed?" that is, the stores that are its main "producers" of revenue business; And the answer is a resounding "no."
Natural stores are not only important in terms of strategy. The store is the main unit for how everything is designed in the retail trade, from stocks to labor.
The erosion of the retail trade has been going on for years but the coronavirus mainly brought about the closure of the low-yield stores and all those that had marginally endured before the pandemic.
Maybe the time of the retail store is under pressure does not mean that in the future there will be no more stores. This does not mean that consumers will not want to spend time shopping there shopping are, among other things, a means of socialization and therapeutic.
Shopping with friends and a walk in the shop windows. It is a need that, no matter how much the retail industry wears out, will continue to be innate in the soul of every individual. "Losing" time in order to highlight our beauty and change the psychology will always be a pleasure and will make us escape from problems.
Shopping is and will be an effective psychotherapy for everyone, perhaps the most fun. A fabric that embraces us, a fragrance that travels us. Emotional rejuvenation and renewal will always be the needs of every person, no matter how different their lives become over the years.
One of the main concerns of those who decide to go online is not to make a mistake. In other words, to see something they like but in the end to be completely different. This has to do mainly with the quality of the clothes and shoes.
To be honest, it's one thing to try on an outfit in a physical store and another to order it from a photo, even if you've found the right size from the table that the stores offer as a guide.
Another disadvantage of online shopping is that there are usually a few days of waiting from the moment you place the order "in the cart" until you get the product of your choice.
The main fear of those who avoid online shopping is the security of their personal data or credit information. card.
