By Mr Amit Sharma, Founder and CEO of e Expedise Healthcare
A consumer’s quest for convenience has changed the world around them and has led to an emergence of a new world of the ‘Empowered Consumers’. They are more value-driven today no matter what they are shopping for and expect personalization, convenience, ease, speed, efficiency, free-shipping, easy returns, no hidden fees and a money-back guarantee with no-questions asked.
This Empowered consumer lives on their smart phone – mobile is their new home and companion. It is their calendar, their map, their library, their see-through mirror and their credit card. You no longer see people socialize face-to-face now as much as they do digitally! It’s their digital companion and world that drives everything from what they buy to who they are and what their social status is. It’s a critical assistant in all facets of their lives, which is given more importance than ever before. It’s like one can have a heart attack with no mobile phone around, such is the hook-up. Aren’t the feelings mutual?
Gone are the early days of marketing where marketers could get away with shady and obnoxious advertisement tactics. Earlier physical location mattered a lot along with word-of-mouth but today, the consumers are wiser than ever before and are driven by research that is available at the click of a button. So whatever their need may be, they Google it, read reviews on the product, check authenticity of the seller and the site, ask their digital friends on feedbacks and experience and later make a decision of purchase – in short they have a wealth of resources at their fingertips, which makes them flexible enough to order from wherever they want and at any hour of the day too.
Hyper-connectivity and busy lifestyles are influencing buying decisions of global consumers. Global consumers want convenience at every stage of shopping and brand engagement with products and services. Needless to say, online shopping has given consumers a world of luxuries but has definitely given every aspect of the brick-and-mortar strategy a run for its money. They are buying from their homes, kitchens, bathrooms (yes, from where you are thinking), offices, and even while being stuck in those long traffic halts. Window-shopping online is the new fad. The wish lists are always full waiting for that sale hour / day to crack the deal.
Every consumer is obsessed with convenience especially parents who don’t find enough time to visit a shop physically for every small need of their little one. Online seems the best choice as it also lets you buy things as per your budget without getting to face the shopkeeper who will insist you to buy once seen the product. You aren’t bound by any obligations and don’t have to make an extra time-out for shopping needs.
A major factor that has led to the online spree is also the availability of extra incomes, credit cards and other payment methods which doesn’t involve dealing with cash thus allowing the consumer to feel free and shop with a free mind without being judged for his/her choices and budget. The idea of paying it later and via cashbacks is quite enticing. From buying cosmetics, groceries, clothes, shoes, bags, medicines to home furnishings and electronics and to reading news and entertainment; there is enough and more available at the click of a button for everything and anything you can think of under the roof.
These millennial and gen-z consumers go by a different set of rules and expectations. Shortcuts and automation are top of mind as we chase ways to overcome everyday obstacles to effortless living. Driven by technology and an on-demand culture, younger generations of consumers have grown up with media and services that are available at the push of a button, anytime and anyplace. They would rather order online than get into the car to pick something up if the cost and product are equal.
Moreover, this gen-z is not willing to be driven by ads, or even entirely by friends recommendations – the Empowered Consumer today is simply driven by their own ability to pick, choose, try, return and click—all by their own free will. Changes in how they shop, what they shop for, and how they expect to be treated are all an individual’s choice today. Today they are even able to shop for global brands and even across borders, all with a click of a button – they are happy to access the world market now with this new power and independence called online.
So to close this, in this increasingly hectic life’s and hyper connected world, convenience is the ultimate currency that every consumer is using at the click of a button and is doing more with their waking up hours!
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)
