Businesses worldwide have taken a hit due to the global pandemic. This article talks about the impact of the COVID 19 crisis on small brick and mortar retail businesses and how technology can help to combat the challenges. Small and medium retail businesses like clothing, book or department stores have run out of business and are facing an extinction-level situation. The future looks bleak for traditional offline stores as a crowded shopping experience is unlikely for some time. Post the pandemic, many shoppers will still be reluctant to visit stores to avoid the crowd.
To ensure business continuity the world has adopted mobile technology. Mobile apps have helped to keep the situation normal and have changed the routine drastically. Earlier, people visited offices to pay the electricity bill or book tickets or to buy things. During this lockdown, there is a huge spike in mobile app downloads. Statistics show that App Store and Google Play have 33 billion app downloads in Q1, 2020. Due to the pandemic, mobile app download, usage and consumer spending hit a record high in 2020. The downloads include gaming app, social media app, health and fitness app, banking app, medical, eLearning app, video conferencing app like zoom, Google meet, Microsoft Team, etc.
As the mobile app industry is thriving and consumers are spending more time on their smartphones, consider having a mobile app for your business or service. Allow your customers to order online through the app and pick up in-store. Customer preferences, shopping history gets stored on the app allowing personalized shopping experience. This blend of online and offline models will be convenient and super-fast. A mobile app will be beneficial for any business, it can be a grocery store, medical clinic, pet clinic or a fitness centre. Leverage technology to provide a personalized experience for your customers through virtual sessions, virtual tours, virtual showroom, chat sessions with experts, etc.
The pandemic has created an unprecedented impact on the global economy. Businesses should not hesitate to try new approaches, new commercial models and new technologies to engage their customers and meet the demand. This switch over to technology is a difficult situation for retailers but some of them have already started implementing and thriving back in business.
Find a mobile app development company that helps you reinforce your business with the right technologies. Techcedence has been delivering excellent mobility services for various domains. Contact us with your requirements to transform your business into the digital world.