With more people shopping online than ever before, it's important your business can adapt and respond. Are you ready to meet online demands?

Buying habits of both B2B and B2C customers have been in a constant state of change for years. Online shopping is disrupting high-street retail and markets are now more global than ever before. Your business can take advantage of the changes and meet the surge in e-commerce demand with our help.

E-commerce business is here to stay. The effects of the pandemic have sped up adoption across APAC, and while this increased demand has added extra stresses and strains to supply chains, many small businesses are adapting and taking advantage of the new opportunities.
 

No going back?
COVID-19 is accelerating how widely the world is embracing e-commerce. According to CapGemini Research, prior to COVID-19, 59% of consumers worldwide had a high interaction with physical stores. Now only 24% expect to return to those levels post-pandemic. Consider also that more than 50% of consumers who shop online do so from overseas - making online sales an essential factor in business growth.

The opportunities presented by e-commerce raise new supply chain challenges for small businesses in terms of space and price. Your shipments have to compete for delivery with all sorts of other products - often those in high demand like Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). You’ll also have to contend with constant changes - flight schedules, for example, are far more prone to cancellations or changes due to COVID than ever before.

Be e-commerce business ready
What should you do to overcome these e-commerce business challenges? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Both B2C and B2B customers are not as physically present as they used to be. Is this as an opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competitors with a better online shopping experience? Is your e-commerce platform solid enough to handle increased traffic and demand?
  
  
• If the only physical interaction your customers now have with your product is via your distributors and/or your delivery partners – is it a high-quality experience? What do customers say about it and where could you improve?
  
  
• Are you rethinking your supply chain to account for more time or more unpredictability? Are your shipping partners able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and help you manage your customers’ expectations?
  
  
• Are you using tools like FedEx Ship Manager^TM at fedex.com to help manage shipments in unpredictable market conditions?
  
  

We are in uncertain times for sure, but e-commerce was well underway before COVID-19. Investing in stronger e-commerce today could be the best thing your business does for the long-term.