As we are getting used to the coronavirus playing a vital part in our daily life, healthcare, and social behavior, it also heavily impacts our shopping habits. For a fact, some product categories are more popular than ever and other product categories are declining at alarming rates. While this might be a temporary decline, it still impacts some businesses to the point of bankruptcy.
Now you might be asking what should you do if you are a seller of products from one of these categories? In this blog post, we will go through six product categories that have seen a drop in popularity due to the quarantine and we’ll also have a look at how you can mitigate the damage caused by the declining popularity of these items.
The products that have suffered the most during the coronavirus pandemic:
Luggage and suitcases
This would’ve been anyone’s first guess. The coronavirus has created conditions where we had to change our social behavior. The majority of countries all over the world have announced quarantine, which completely stopped traveling among countries, and in some cases – even inside the country. Additionally, people don’t need to buy things for traveling, so luggage and suitcases are now unwanted. Even briefcase sales have dropped, because most of the people who would be using them are now working from home, and buying their future work supplies is not at the top of their mind.
Swimwear
Due to the travel and social restrictions caused by the coronavirus, the swimwear product category has fallen out of popularity. As we all know, travel businesses are now experiencing their worst times, but it also affects swimwear sellers. In most countries worldwide, the quarantine is being extended for seemingly indefinitely, which means that all travel plans have to be put on hold until the situation changes.
Cameras
Cameras were already seeing a decline over the years due to the advances in smartphone photography, but thanks to the coronavirus putting a halt on travel and events we’re seeing a greater fall in camera sales. Since there are fewer tourists and fewer events for professional photographers, the demand for professional-grade cameras has almost dropped to rock bottom.
Event and Party Supplies
This category is the largest one we’ll be covering in this blog, it covers all the biggest events – Easter Holidays, Weddings, Birthdays, etc. The Coronavirus has not only affected our social behavior, but it also changed the ways we celebrate holidays and important events. Because of the ongoing quarantine, people are not allowed to go and gather in groups of any size. Self-isolation is the best way to stop the pandemic, and with this in mind, events and party supplies are obviously suffering now.
Sunglasses
Since we are all stuck inside in self-isolation, we don’t really need shades, do we? Quarantine more or less made us involuntary introverts, and while sitting at home, the sun is not that dangerous to our eyes. But why aren’t people buying them for future use? The answer lies somewhere between the first and the second of the most declining product categories during the pandemic. Because all traveling is canceled, and it’s unclear when we’ll be able to travel around the world freely, nobody wants to buy seasonal items. Unfortunately, sunglasses fit into this category.
Camping equipment
Coronavirus has put limitations on nearly all of our lifestyle activities, and sadly, camping is not an exception. Due to restrictions, camping equipment sales have seen a decline over the past few months as customers aren’t tempted to buy things that they might not be able to use for a long time.
Now the big question: What to do if you have products that are slowly declining during this pandemic?
First of all, as mentioned before, nobody knows when the current situation will change, as countries all over the world impose newer and newer precautionary measures to slow down the spread of the Coronavirus. That is why you can’t just sit there and wait until everything works out – you will have to unload the products that are not selling and here’ how:
- Offer special deals and prices
If you see that you have products that are not selling as well as they should, you need to make an offer that customers can’t resist. Try a discount program, special offers, or free shipping. Try to look at the products from a different angle so you can discover a new selling point that will help you attract customers. People might not need those products now, but everyone knows that these restrictions will end sooner or later. Create a good deal for your customers so that they won’t have any other option than to just buy your products.
- Become creative with your marketing
Now that everyone is spending most of their time in front of their computer/smartphones, it is time to transform all of your brilliant marketing ideas into reality. It is time to become creative and show off your products in a new way. You can use extensive newsletter campaigns to remind your customers about your brand and to announce special offers.
- Create the perfect customer experience
Everyone is trying to push their products to customers and competition can be fierce. That’s why you have to offer the ultimate customer experience. You also have to optimize workflow and eliminate all of the possible errors that could affect your customer’s experience. You should also try to automate order fulfillment as much as you can, so you have time to work on different aspects of your business such as marketing and branding. You should also try new software, that can help you with all that!
Nventree allows you to stay on top when it comes to order and inventory management, offering you an overview of your business’s performance. It also allows you with your branding as you can create custom invoices and labels that can help you with your branding. It also comes with automated emailing functions allowing you to create a seamless experience for your customers.