In 2020, retail sales were decimated while UK online sales grew by 36%. Some sports brands limped through lockdowns, while others saw little to no impact on their overall sales. So what did the success stories do well? And how can you use those lessons to propel your ecommerce brand beyond the pandemic?
1. Q2 2020 was tough on everyone
Widespread store closures and a sudden drop in consumer confidence saw retail spend plummet. Even sports giant Adidas saw its global sales fall by a third.
2. Ecom helped some retailers endure the crisis
Despite multiple lockdowns and widespread nervousness about hitting the high-street, brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma soon saw online sales soar. Sadly this wasn’t the case for all. So what separated the best from the rest?
Despite multiple lockdowns and widespread nervousness about hitting the high-street, brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma soon saw online sales soar.
3. The winners adapted fast
Lockdown caused a massive behaviour shift. With this came a surge in demand for home workout equipment and leisurewear. Smart brands were quick to react. The smartest had buyers who could get large quantities of these products on digital shelves within weeks.
4. They shifted their messaging as well as their service
While shoppers were keen to keep on shopping, they also had worries. Successful brands reassured their customers about the safety of their factory workers, impact on delivery and how they could contact customer support, should they need it. In today's market, this kind of transparency matters.
5. The change wasn’t a shock
The likes of JD Sports, Liverpool FC and Leicester City FC had seen the changes to buying habits coming. The rise of ecommerce, if not the sudden and catastrophic way it happened, was in their sites long before Covid-19. And they already had the infrastructure and the logistics in place to adapt.
6. Omnichannel retailers had a head start
Trends from pandemic prove what ecommerce experts have long been saying: we can’t afford to view online, mobile and in-store experiences as separate entities. Retailers that had cultivated a seamless experience across every touchpoint had an easier time shifting their customers from in-store to online purchases.
Case study: Creating an omnichannel experience for a Premier League football club
7. But they didn’t assume every customer was ready
The jump from in-store to online shopping was a significant mindset shift for some customers. Forward-thinking brands recognised this and provided gentle nudges to help make the switch more appealing – perhaps incentivising customers who traditionally purchased in-store to consider buying online while taking care to avoid cannibalising margins when stores reopened.
8. Customer relationships came to the fore
Lockdown abruptly limited the ways brands could communicate with customers – tube ads and city centre billboards become worthless overnight. Brands that had already forged valuable relationships with consumers were able to pivot to more personal channels, such as WhatsApp, email, SMS and apps. Those that hadn’t were less able to stay front-of-mind.
9. They reacted by adapting
Retail trends data shows no signs of consumers returning to 2019 habits when restrictions lift. Resilient retailers predicted this early, built it into their crisis strategies and were careful to invest in measures that will continue to serve them long after the pandemic has passed.
10. They realised competition would get tougher
2020 sped up the growth of sports ecom as More brands shifting their focus to the digital space means the marketplace has never been more crowded.
Those looking to compete need to commit. Customers have become accustomed to the polished experiences offered by Amazon and ASOS. And, crucially for the sports industry, these brands have indicated their intentions to move into the sports market. Top retailers lifted their ecom site’s functionality to within striking distance of the major players.
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