The Digital Consumer Journey: Who is Behind the Crisis-Inspired E-commerce Surge

Delivery

This report comes in PPT.

Key Findings

Pandemic drives sudden shift to the digital channel

As consumers continue to isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic, this period has accelerated e-commerce adoption, with many consumers experimenting and even becoming reliant on the digital channel while in isolation. Nearly every industry explored in this analysis recorded a double-digit increase in the percentage of connected consumers making digital purchases in 2020.

Consumers bought via e-commerce across even more categories

Besides shopping more in already-familiar categories, consumers are turning to e-commerce across a broader range of products and services. The percentage of minimal online shoppers, connected consumers who did not use digital or only used digital to shop for one category, dropped significantly during the research and purchase steps in the consumer journey between fielding timeframes. In turn, there was a sharp rise in heavy online shoppers.

Different consumer segments are driving these shifts

Connected consumers between the ages of 30 and 44 eyars were the most frequent users of the digital channel prior to the pandemic. Despite high digital usage these consumers are behind the digital shift at the purchase step, with the 60-plus age group recording the greatest percentage increase at the research step.

Digitalisation is at the core of recovery efforts

In order to adapt strategies and remain competitive in the post-pandemic world, companies will need to explore such shifts in digital shopping behaviours that took place during this period of abrupt change. From faster fulfilment to more efficient last-mile delivery and collection services, digitalisation is at the core of these efforts because it enables businesses to quickly enhance capabilities and maximise efficiencies across their operations.