The pandemic has changed the lives of people all over the world. It should come as no surprise that the coronavirus has changed the way people shop. Today, more than ever, consumers turn to the internet for a wide variety of items that they would’ve bought at the store. Groceries were once thought of as untouchable are now the prime focus of many online retailers. The thought of ordering perishables was once deemed as insanity, but today it’s a reality. Never before has the buying public saught out options to fill their refrigerators full of food. The pandemic will continue to mold our lives, but if there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that the spending habits of people around the world will never be the same.
Who are the players in this global shopping spree?
It should come as no surprise that Amazon is leading the way with grocery sales. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods signaled long before the pandemic that they wanted to enter the grocery space. Amazon is leading the pack and continues to do so even without Whole Foods while taking advantage of free two-day shipping for Prime members. The goal from the very beginning was to meet the needs of as many people as possible while ensuring that customers got their orders as quickly as possible. Amazon is focused on customer service and satisfaction, and if anyone can deliver on both, it would be the company with the smile on their packages.
Uber is throwing their hat into the ring
Uber partnered with Cornershop to deliver food to Latin America and to Canada. It makes sense for Uber to utilize its fleet of drivers and give them an additional option to earn revenue. Uber drivers are a natural choice for grocery delivery since they’re already out and about and are looking to make a little money. It’s safe to say that Uber is going to feel other company’s nipping at their heels once people begin to see how lucrative grocery delivery is. It’s not just a much-needed pack of toilet paper people are ordering, it’s everyday household items and also food. Everything for sale at the grocery store is what people are ordering since they don’t want to risk coming down with the bug by standing in line at the grocery store.
Delivery services will eventually be the norm and not the exception
Things won’t go back to normal after the pandemic is over because people will enjoy the comfort of ordering groceries online. No one in the business community should expect customers to flock to grocery stores anytime soon after discovering the convenience of online ordering. Why would groceries be any different than socks? The real question has to be when will the big brick and mortar retailers catch on? Will we see Walmart and other stores turning around and delivering anything you want directly to your doorstep? Every economic upswing and downturn always has its winners and losers, and the pandemic will be no different. The customer is the one who decides who wins and loses, and in this case, the customer hasn’t yet spoken.