Online shopping, a trend that is here to stay

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Today, online shopping plays a vital and daily role in our lives: more and more companies are looking online and more and more consumers are opting for this shopping model.

With the pandemic, consumer habits have changed significantly and online shopping has started to gain more momentum. Today, having an online presence is not a fad, it is not just another strategy among many, and it is no longer just a trend: it is a necessity.

Online shopping and changes in consumer habits
The globalization of Internet access has eliminated geographical limitations on online shopping and brought brands and customers closer together, opening the way for a new world of global commerce. A recent study by Google revealed that 33% of shoppers in Portugal with Internet access spend more time shopping online than in physical stores.

Studies by entities such as SIBS and IDC show that online sales are growing japan whatsapp number database there is no sign of a turning back. From clothing, footwear, technology, beauty products and food, companies that want to remain profitable must make their products and services available through digital channels.

Online shopping in numbers
Businesses and, consequently, the national economy have been impacted by this unprecedented evolution of the digital world. And the numbers do not lie:

14% of purchases in Portugal during the lockdown period were made via e-commerce, representing a 5% increase compared to the period prior to the first case. – SIBS - Sociedade Interbancária de Serviços
Online purchases of services and products during the lockdown period increased by around 18%. - SIBS
23% is the estimated weight of digital sales in organizations that diversify sales channels. - CIP – Confederação Empresarial de Portugal
¼ of the revenues of Portuguese companies that have opted for these sales methods come from digital channels. - CIP

New business opportunities in an adverse context
The growth of online shopping is essentially based on the change in consumer behavior, as a result of the pandemic crisis that shook the world and businesses. The Portuguese are increasingly developing the habit of shopping online. For today's consumer, buying online is something quick, simple and intuitive and this solid online presence by companies is already more than evident.

The truth is that the pandemic crisis has forced business models to adapt. 19% of companies that did not sell online have started investing in these digital channels and online sales now represent 23% of the total in these companies that have diversified their sales channels, according to the CIP study.

Mobile is gaining ground in online shopping
Shopping is going mobile. The retail sector has been impacted not only by the pandemic crisis, but also by the increasing use of mobile devices. With mobile e-commerce, shopping can happen anywhere, without the need for a physical store or even a laptop.

Nowadays, most brands develop their websites considering the desktop as the main viewing screen. From there, the content is adapted for the remaining mobile devices. However, with smartphones becoming increasingly popular, having a responsive website with a user-friendly layout for all formats is essential – and the least that can be done – to meet user demands.

Omnichannel Strategy: The Present and Future of Commerce
According to a study by Harvard Business Review , 73% of consumers use multiple channels to shop online. In the same vein, companies with omnichannel strategies retain an average of 89% of their customers from channel to channel, in contrast to 33% of businesses that do not have a solid omnichannel strategy.

And with more and more companies opting for this digital business model, the demands are growing: selling the same product in multiple channels – from physical stores, online stores or digital Marketplaces – poses new challenges to the logistical and administrative management of organizations.

Either option is viable and depends solely on the strategic objectives and available resources of the company. However, a simultaneous focus on multiple channels is also a possibility. This multichannel approach offers customers a fully integrated shopping experience, which focuses on each interaction with the consumer across the various sales channels. Ultimately, this strategy combines two major characteristics: convenience and practicality.

The solution for successful integrated management
From micro to large companies, administrative and logistics management consumes resources and affects business efficiency. But the answer to this omnichannel challenge lies in adopting tools that ensure integrated management of all sales channels in a single place, so that you can diversify the storefronts where your products are available, without increasing the administrative burden.

PRIMAVERA now has technological solutions available that are capable of meeting and responding to the demands of omnichannel. The E-commerce Connector solution is a robust connector that integrates several platforms and channels data from different sales channels, whether physical or online, into a single back office, ensuring integrated sales management. With this e-commerce support solution, it becomes easier to control commercial activity and with less administrative burden.