Faced with such variable behaviors on the part of consumers, predicting the future is a "mission impossible" for marketers in an increasingly omnichannel reality. Preparing is the only solution and we will tell you how.

Categories as diverse as retail, technology, finance, and travel have undergone profound changes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The context caused people to change their consumption habits: some previous trends accelerated, others appeared and were short-lived, others are here to stay, and many others may disappear in the coming months.

And although we do not know what will happen in the future, some data and signals can help us anticipate possible scenarios. In the past year, the use of digital technologies grew at unprecedented rates: 44% of online retail shoppers bought a new category online for the first time in 2020.1 Still, consumers are omnichannel. And that will be deepened in the future, given that the strategic role that the physical store had in the purchase path has changed.

Therefore, facing a year in which we do not know if there will be greater restrictions or not, understanding what these new behaviors and motivations of consumers appear as the best strategy for marketers. How to anticipate and be prepared for what is coming? We summarize it in three tips:

1. Be empathetic

Commonly defined as the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes, empathy not only allows us to understand the emotions and feelings of others but also to understand their points of view. Faced with a pandemic that affected us all, this exercise should not be difficult.

We know that people experience new needs and concerns: 82% of Latin Americans, for example, are concerned about the hygiene of businesses.2 In turn, many are concerned about the future of their finances, so some focus only buy essential items (28% of Latin Americans) 3 and many reduce their impulse purchases (67%) 4.

Likewise, there is greater consumer loyalty in some products, such as food and beauty, and a greater willingness to try new brands in categories such as clothing, technology, and home. That represents a great opportunity, as 35% of retail consumers bought a new brand in 2020.

In fact, the reasons why people buy have varied, so fundamental variables such as speed of delivery and safety and hygiene measures must be considered.

2. Rely on the data

The complexity of consumption patterns and new purchase journeys, as well as the number of contact points and channels that consumers use, make marketers face a large amount of information and the challenge of accompanying these transformations in time. real.

Some clues help to better understand the current and future outlook:

In most product categories, online resources such as search, customer and expert reviews, and brand websites are viewed as useful and likely to become even more popular.

People believe they will increase their percentage of online purchases during 2021, with an average increase of between 10 and 11 percentage points, especially in categories such as food and beauty.

In addition, Latin American consumers have experienced issues related to product availability and high prices in multiple categories, both in-person and online purchases.

3. Be agile

Digitally transforming the business is the only way to follow in a relevant way the complex journeys of consumers, through all the channels they use, both online and in person. In fact, the pandemic and the restrictions it brought with it accelerated the digital transformation that was already being seen in the industry.

There are many motivators that affect the exploration and evaluation that people make before making a purchase. Likewise, the experience of purchase will condition future tours.

Among the main points of contact and triggers that define decisions are:

Search engines are the most used means before a purchase: for 59% of consumers, it was the most popular channel, regardless of whether the purchase happens online or in person.5 In the first case, the average rises to 79%, while that for the latter exceeds 50%.

52% of retail consumers turned to online videos before making a purchase. Among those who bought online, the average is 68% and for those who did it in person it reaches 45% .6

Consumers are looking for frictionless omnichannel experiences and demand that brands have the products they are looking for available, both online and in-store. In fact, the tour of the stores was used by 31%, mainly to experience the products. In short, convenience and good prices also make a difference.

By Evangelina Suárez and Marcos Aramburu

Source:

1 Google/ Kantar, The Journey Reshaped: COVID-19’s impact on the path to purchase, encuesta online, población +18 que realizó una compra/ se suscribió a un servicio, o tiene la intención de hacerlo en las categorías incluidas, LATAM Retail (AR, BR, CO, MX, CL y PE), febrero 2021.

2 Google/ Kantar, The Journey Reshaped: COVID-19’s impact on the path to purchase; encuesta online: ¿cuáles de las siguientes afirmaciones mejor describe el impacto de la pandemia de coronavirus en usted?, n = 31936, LATAM, febrero 2021.

3, 4 The Journey Reshaped: COVID-19’s impact on the path to purchase; encuesta online: en comparación con la situación previa a la pandemia, ¿está haciendo menos, igual cantidad o más gastos?; n = 31936, LATAM, febrero 2021.

5,6 Google/ Kantar, The Journey Reshaped: COVID-19’s impact on the path to purchase, encuesta online, población +18 que realizó una compra/ se suscribió a un servicio, o tiene la intención de hacerlo en las categorías incluidas, LATAM Retail (AR, BR, CO, MX, CL y PE), febrero 2021.