Retailers across the UK have been hit by the impact of coronavirus, as the government’s lockdown means shoppers are no longer allowed to go out, other than to purchase ‘essential items’.
Those selling non-essential goods, however, such as clothes, DIY, stationery, or homeware are likely to be suffering in the wake of the decision, with sales halting after shutting their doors.
However, there is a solution to this, and that is taking their business online, allowing customers to purchase goods on their website and receive them through a delivery service.
This could provide the impetus retailers need to talk to website designers in Surrey about setting up an e-commerce facility. They might also want to upgrade their web design to make it more appealing to customers and better able to attract and retain those looking for products on the internet.
According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Distributive Trends Survey for between February 26th and March 13th, most retailers experienced a fall in sales volumes.
Clothing sales dropped by 75 per cent between March 2019 and March 2020, while furniture and carpet transactions fell by the same amount over the year.
In comparison, sales at grocers surged by 94 per cent in the year leading to March, including a 29 per cent increase in February.
Many shoppers have turned to supermarket websites to get their weekly shopping done to avoid contracting the virus, or if they are vulnerable or self-isolating and are not allowed to leave home.
However, the pages are so popular that consumers face long queues to even get on the websites, and some have delivery slots booked up for more than two weeks.
That is why savvy shoppers have been looking for other local services to deliver goods instead, including green grocers, market stallholders, milk delivery vans, and even cupcake companies. By moving these services online, they can stay in business, as well as provide goods for those who need it.
