Ecommerce is the Business Continuity Response to Coronavirus

As a quarter of the world’s population goes into lockdown to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, e-commerce businesses across the globe are ramping up as they see demand skyrocket. Below, we’ve put together some of the reasons why digital commerce is essential in these trying times and offer expert advice on how your business can best be prepared…

Adapting to changing times

Perhaps the most obvious reason for the rise in e-commerce is adapting to hugely changing circumstances, when consumers were told overnight not to leave their homes except for essential supplies. Many are familiar with Amazon e-commerce model - they place an order at 6PM and have products delivered to them the next day, and now all-but-essential shops are closed, they’re turning to the web to purchase everything from dog food to dodgeballs. And though panic buying continues, limits are now in place for groceries and medicine.

As a B2B e-commerce retailer, being able to supply your clients with the merchandise they need to manufacture and/or resell to consumers is critical during this time, so make sure that you have stress-tested your platform and the capacity and infrastructure to deliver on time.

Delivering essential goods

For businesses in the healthcare and grocery niches, demand has never been higher. And at a time when consumers are confined to their homes, being able to deliver goods quickly and efficiently could save lives. For a medical company who offers medicines to supermarkets and convenience stores through a B2B e-commerce platform, for example, having the appropriate level of stock and distribution channels has never been more important, and that may mean making compromises to ensure only the most essential goods can be delivered.

Amazon, for example, has halted non-essential purchases in areas that have been hardest hit, such as India and Italy, whilst supermarket chains Tesco and Iceland are limiting grocery deliveries to pensioners. Limit your offerings temporarily to ensure essentials are delivered.

Keeping brands alive

Another reason why e-commerce is so important during the coronavirus outbreak is that it has the ability to keep brands alive. As we’ve already touched upon, all non-essential firms have been forced to close until further notice, and though businesses are being offered an unprecedented package of support, not everyone is eligible. Being able to keep businesses running during this time by ensuring the smooth delivery of goods through e-commerce not only saves jobs, but ensures that firms don’t go under during a testing time for the economy.

Propping up the economy

Speaking of the economy, e-commerce now serves as a backbone for businesses that one depended upon their retail stores for trade. Though many major brands have made the jump from the high street to e-commerce in recent years, some sectors are still lagging behind, so being able to quickly adapt during the coronavirus outbreak to drive sales is essential. In China, for example, food delivery disruptors (those similar to JustEat in the UK) have been able to adapt to offer grocery deliveries for those in isolation or suffering from coronavirus.

Though making the leap to e-commerce can be time-consuming and challenging, offering even a small percentage of your stock for purchase online can help to prop up the economy and keep your cash flow healthy at a time when most businesses have ground to a halt. And the more B2B ecommerce brands able to operate, the more stock B2C businesses have to sell on to their end-users, whether it’s hand sanitiser, chocolate bars, or office equipment.

Reducing risk and exposure

The primary reason for the coronavirus lockdown is to slow the spread of the outbreak in the United Kingdom, protect the NHS, and save lives. The less time consumers spend outdoors, the less likely they are to be exposed to the virus. E-commerce, though not perfect, reduces the need for consumers to put themselves at risk, putting the onus on distribution companies to act in a responsible and agile manner and deliver goods and services to people’s homes.

Provided you have an e-commerce infrastructure in place, you should be able to ensure the smooth running of your business with very little contact between workers, keeping your team and your customers safe. Ensure packers follow government guidance by standing at least two meters away from each other and by washing their hands regularly, and have boxes and pallets packed and ready for a “contactless” pick-up by your postal and distribution company.

There’s no denying that there are significant challenges ahead for the economy, and that the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak will fundamentally change the way we live forever. If you’re operating a B2B organisation and have an e-commerce store, use your facilities and stock to keep people safe, deliver goods, protect businesses, prop up the economy, and save lives.

Stay up to date and follow guidance issued by the government and reach out to the ecommerce experts here at Comgem if you’re looking for assistance during these challenging times.