Prior to the pandemic, brick-and-mortar retailers were already facing fierce competition from online marketplaces. Purchasing online often meant access to a better selection of (and global access to) products, more convenience, and, in many cases, cheaper deals.
The COVID-19 pandemic conditions not only provided consumers access to products they couldn’t buy at locked-down physical retailers — online shopping also enabled them a safer way to procure both essential and non-essential items. While brick-and-mortar retailers across the globe have been grappling with how to enhance the customer experience for some time, the pandemic is serving to accelerate the “offline” business transformation.
