There’s no denying some of the unwanted effects of the spread of the novel Coronavirus and the shutdowns that have been enforced to counter it. Businesses across the country have been forced to close, costing the economy, costing people money, and costing people jobs.
Yet, as terrible as the spread of this disease is, and as costly as it has been for some industries, there is still good news out there. There are industries that are thriving across the country, and eCommerce business, in general, is performing well because there have been so many restrictions imposed on in-person shopping.
Not every industry has to suffer, and many of these industries are seeing booms in sales, particularly through eCommerce, as people take measures to prepare themselves for the time ahead, look after their health, and stay active.
Food and Nutrition Products
Unsurprisingly many retailers selling food and nutrition products like supplements have done surprisingly well recently. Whether from panic or foresight, people are flocking to supermarkets and clearing shelves. Everyone needs food, and when there’s unease, people stock up.
Online sellers have also done well, particularly sellers of nutritional supplements and wellness products. If you are able to position your products to capitalize on this corner of the market, now is the time to do so.
Pet Products
Pets are a part of the family, period. That’s why when there’s uneasiness in any area of the market people start to buy pet supplies in droves, just as they do with food. Anyone who has ever had a pet sees the welfare of the pet as the welfare of a family member, and they make sure to be prepared.
It might not be possible to reposition your business to be a seller of pet products, but if you can find opportunities to cross-sell or highlight any advantages to pets that your products might have, it may well pay dividends.
Building Materials, Gardening Equipment and Tools
Building materials, gardening equipment, and tools are necessities at any time and under any conditions, but when people become uncertain about shortages and future conditions they stock up, just as with food. The only difference is that tools are durable goods and foods are not.
People want to allay their worries by being prepared with tools that will enable them to make their own repairs and grow their own food. Building, repairing, and gardening also provide countless hours of recreation for people that have nothing else to do, so these products serve both a need and a desire, and that holds a powerful marketing position.
Many products can be positioned as tools – it just takes a little creativity to do so. Don’t think about what your products are. Think about the solutions they provide and how they enable your customers to reach them. There is the value of your product. Consider a repositioning effort to cast your product in a more utilitarian light.
Computer and Office Equipment
If you’re thinking that computer and office equipment are luxury goods, you’re not entirely wrong. They do provide entertainment, which is something on which people rely when they are stuck inside for a prolonged period of time.
However, the current state of affairs has seen a surprisingly large number of people in the workforce working from home or otherwise working remotely. That accounts for some of the spending in this category. Those who need to work remotely through this still have a need for the same products they would be using in their offices.
Sporting Goods and Equipment
The growth in sales of sporting goods and equipment highlights the fact that people still want to remain healthy and active while in quarantine or practicing social distancing. On the other hand, you can choose to see them as necessities as that recreation is a part of a healthy lifestyle.
At any rate, if you can position your products as sporting goods, accessories, or supporting products, you can take advantage of this trend. That is even more important if you are able to sell online, as you can avoid some of the effects of the recent shutdowns.
Many of these industries are not only surviving because they sell necessities. Many of them are surviving because of the creative approaches they are taking to the restrictions that are currently in place. While it is true that necessities will not suffer dramatically in nearly any condition, taking advantage of opportunities that lay in front of you is critical, not only to survival but to customer service.
Take, for example, KM Herbals’ response to this pandemic. A seller of plant-based wellness products, they received an overwhelming number of requests for sanitation products in response to the national shortage of hand sanitizer. They responded by developing a line of hand sanitizer, purifying spray, and hand soap. Business boomed, and they helped their customers in a time of need in the process.
Other industries that don’t sell essential items are taking advantage of tactics like curbside pick up and eCommerce. While there are restrictions on some nonessential businesses, others have managed to circumvent the shutdown by allowing customers to pick up curbside or turning to their eCommerce portals. Some businesses that would otherwise have been shuttered have turned to online commerce to keep up their customer service.
Others, yet, listen to their customers’ needs, as KM Herbals did, and have tailored their models to provide for a market need. That adaptability can sometimes make the difference between a sale and a loss, not to mention a happy customer. Working with an eCommerce digital marketing agency can often help jump those creative hurdles to find solutions for your customers.
Creativity is our specialty here at 1DigitalⓇ. If you need an eCommerce marketing company’s creative approaches to redesign, branding, or even marketing, we’re here to offer our expertise and years of experience. We’ve created branded website redesigns for many clients in the past that uniquely positioned them to take advantage of market opportunities, and we can do the same for you. Give us a call at 888-982-8269 and we’ll help you reposition yourself or come up with creative solutions to addressing your customers’ needs for long term success.
