The year 2020 has been a transformational one, especially for startups and small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Constant Contact, an online marketing leader, surveyed over 3,000 consumers in the U.S. (aged 18 and up) on how the pandemic has changed the way they shop to help small businesses understand how to engage with them in this new normal.
The 2020 Small Business Pulse Report highlights these new purchasing behaviors and where small businesses can find new opportunities this holiday season.
While the pandemic has created incredible challenges for small businesses, it has also generated tremendous support from their communities.
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As the infographic below highlights, consumers have made it more of a priority to choose small businesses:
- 60 percent of shoppers have made more of an effort to support local businesses in their community this year compared to 2019.
- 71 percent said they have shopped at a small business at least once a month since the start of the pandemic.
- 62 percent said they plan to visit a small business they’ve never shopped at before the year ends.
With social distancing orders still impacting in-person shopping and brick-and-mortar retail, small businesses that jumped on the e-commerce train early are experiencing the benefits of having a remote shopping method. This holiday season will only continue to bring in online sales.
Related: Annual Holiday Purchase Intention Study Says This is the Most Important Factor Among Consumers
The infographic below shows how small businesses that have e-commerce capabilities are more likely to capture shoppers over the next couple of months:
- 71 percent of surveyed consumers said they plan to do some of their holiday shopping at small businesses.
- The majority of consumers don’t even need to go to brick-and-mortar locations; only 10 percent said they had to visit a physical store in order to make a purchase.
While consumer behavior has changed since the start of the pandemic, some of these trends are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday quickly approaching, there’s no time to waste for startups and small businesses looking to increase their audience and capture more sales this holiday season.
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For more information, continue reading the infographic below:
