As we get into the holiday season, more people are out shopping, and stores are jam-packed. Shoppers go to stores wanting to get the best gifts for their loved ones, at the best prices.
Or at least that’s how it usually is. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve had to adjust in many different ways and now it is holiday shopping that will need to adjust.
So how exactly will COVID-19 impact holiday shopping? And what will this mean for businesses and e-commerce sales? How can businesses adjust and make the most out of this situation?
Online Shopping
As people try to stay safe and social distance, more people will choose to do their holiday shopping online this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled holiday shopping as a high-risk activity, therefore, a lot of shoppers will not want to risk the chance of being in a crowded store.
According to a recent survey by HubSpot, 47% of shoppers plan to do more online shopping compared to last year. While online sales have continued to rise in recent years, the pandemic has put even more importance on online shopping.
Retail Shopping
While online shopping will probably be the route most people take during the holiday season, this does not mean that retail-in-person shopping will be non-existent. In the same Hubspot survey, 33% of shoppers said they will still do some sort of shopping in person this holiday season.
With people still doing holiday shopping in person, it is important that businesses implement health and safety guidelines. Providing personal protective equipment for employees, hand-sanitizer for customers, mandatory masks, maintaining 6-feet of social distance, and even doing one-way aisles can help reduce the risk of catching and spreading the virus.
Holiday Shopping During COVID-19
So what exactly does this mean for businesses during this holiday season? Well for starters, online sales will probably take up a good amount of their total sales, and this can bring up some challenges.
While online shopping and e-commerce can bring many benefits, they can also lead to over-packaging of products. This can result in a nuisance for customers, leading to a negative unboxing experience. Additionally, over-packaging is harmful to the environment, with all the extra packaging going to waste and going to waste landfills.
Speaking of the environment, more and more customers are demanding for more sustainable packaging from businesses and be more environmentally conscious. Younger generations are especially keen on this and are willing to pay more for such packaging, leading to happier and returning customers.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has also brought on financial problems to many people and because of this, they might be spending less during this holiday season. With customers being more mindful of the items they will be purchasing, it is especially important to make sure you stand out from the crowd. Doing so with unique exciting packaging and providing a good overall experience of your product. As Business Insider puts it – “Think about the whole package”.
Pioneer Packaging Solutions
During this holiday season, make sure your products stand out and reflect your company in the best possible way. No matter your industry, Pioneer Packaging can provide you with a wide variety of packaging and sustainable packaging solutions for all your products. Contact us today to get started.