With life being back to normal, will it affect festive digital sales?

Authored by Alok Pandey, Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Xapads Media

Now we are in a post-pandemic world wherein, being socially & physically distant is no longer a norm. The festive season means meeting & greeting each other, sending gifts & blessings, during the pandemic, these vibes were awaiting people but the evolution in the digital Advertising Technology & App Ecosystem filled such gaps and helped retain the festive moods & vibes tremendously while feeding their daily needs. 

Brands always try their best to provide consumers with offerings matching their interests and during the festive season, they prepare themselves a few months ago to win the hearts of their customers. As per the industry stats, the total eCommerce sales made by Indian spenders in 2018 & 19 during the festive season were ₹150 & ₹190 billion which doubled to ₹290 billion in 2020 due to COVID. And now with the commencement of this year’s festive season, it is expected that online sales are expected to reach $11.8 billion more as compared to pre-pandemic sales since consumers are preparing themselves to make good expenses. 

Moreover, in the subtle post-pandemic world in 2021; the eCommerce platforms recorded a growth of 23% wherein, online sales of $4.6 billion were observed as compared to the year 2020 during festive time, as per RedSeer Consulting. There is nothing wrong in saying that the digital audience has been growing year-on-year wherein, the emergence of the pandemic made people mobile-first and gave online businesses an extra edge. Owing to this, in 2022, gigantic eCommerce platforms like Amazon & Flipkart are predicted to command over 60% of the eCommerce market in India which has encouraged other online retailers too to establish their online presence.

Thus the digital landscape would indeed grow & evolve more in upcoming times because of its convenience that grips the consumers’ interests towards brand’s offerings and they spend quality time on it to hover more products. This is all because of the comfort, convenience and trust developed by online marketplaces where users can get anything & everything and are also willing to make online expenses. 

I would also like to say that online portals provide users with Automated Product Recommendations, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Personalized Content, and In-App Push Notifications with which they better connect with the brands and tend to make the desired actions. In fact, to better sustain the ever-evolving environment and provide users with the best, brands have also started coming up with Avatars, AR/VR Headsets & Glasses, and Oculus etc that take an individual completely to a different virtual reality being physically available in the real world. For example: Presently, users can try apparel & accessories on their avatars but; in the upcoming times, it might also be expected to even book automobiles online while having a test drive at the comfort of your place via AR/VR technology.

These transitions are not only limited to eCommerce verticals but the segments like FMCG, Auto & Vehicles, Gaming, Social Media, Travel & Hospitality etc are evolving greatly and are impressing people with their offerings, facilitating them in the shortest possible time. That’s why I believe that these features will surely enhance online sales in this festive season and in the near future too. 

Since COVID has bought a paradigm shift from offline to online verticals and users too have accepted these transitions so now the launch of new products initially takes place on online marketplaces with quality deals & offers. Moreover, the digital wallets & payment mechanisms provide consumers with a quality user experience, saving their time & energy to physically visit the retail stores. However, one thing to consider is that physical outlets equally play an important role in establishing brand recognition due to which online applications are driving great sales. As most of the time, users consult their smartphones for the products that they are supposed to purchase from a store and then make online purchases for the same. Moreover, sometimes store managers too ask people to explore many exclusive products on their apps to get better deals & cashback; thus, I believe that physical stores are contributing a lot in creating their online brand presence efficiently. 

Hence, I believe that both the brands & consumers are focusing on digitalization as now there is a trust factor from both ends. Users get products that match their interests and online marketplaces have made it convenient for them to take action. That’s why; today, online marketplaces have created a gigantic ecosystem wherein, each different brand is coming up with its own app and thriving to tap into the potential target audience.