Restrictions on the movement of people test the ability of companies to survive, since in the new business reality it is not enough to have a website to market products, as customers demand effective sales and delivery systems.
Monday, May 11, 2020
In early April, when Guatemala was just beginning its quarantine due to the covid-19 outbreak and the government began banning the movement of people after 4 p.m., some customers reported that the online sales systems of the country's large fast food restaurant chains collapsed in the face of increased demand.
Due to the failure of the application of Domino's Pizza, whose digital platform erroneously notified that the product had already been delivered, the company's social networks began to register complaints from some customers. Concriterio.gt reviews that the company admitted the failure and explained that "... Nobody was prepared for this crisis, we are learning from the difficulties and strengthening our processes."
The transition to e-commerce has been complicated for some businesses, but most have had to migrate to these new sales methods in the face of changing business realities.
Luis Manuel Hernández, CEO of Pixel Ecom, a Panamanian company dedicated to implement online payments, told Martesfinanciero.com that companies that already sell electronically "... It is like they have a shovel in the time of the gold fever. The e-commerce game: 'It's not about having the perfect page, but about adapting to the demands of the market."
The article adds that "... It is not enough to appear on the Internet. The effort of a retail business to move forward in the middle of the Covid-19 requires guaranteeing sales, and therefore payment. The equation is simple: without income you risk extinction."
According to the interactive system that monitors real-time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, interest in e-commerce services in the region's markets reported a clear upturn during the year, with Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama recording the largest increases in interactions associated with the topic.
In the new context of accelerated growth of e-commerce, most consumers claim to have had problems buying online, with delivery time failures and lack of service for their area being the most frequent complaints.
From June 8-12, a survey was conducted in Guatemala to measure people's perception of e-commerce, which has gained ground since Central American countries decided to decree severe household quarantines because of the covid-19 outbreak.
Identifying and correcting failures in the logistics process of product delivery, while maintaining the satisfaction levels of their customers, who demand facilities to buy online, is the main challenge facing companies in the new commercial "normality".
The outbreak of covid-19 in Central America and the severe home quarantines decreed by the governments, caused the market to undergo deep changes and to be deeply and rapidly transformed, to the point of establishing a new commercial reality.
Less impulsive and more reasoned purchasing decisions and the search for product and supplier information on the Internet and social networks are some of the characteristics of consumers in the new business environment.
Given the spread of covid-19, health authorities in Central American countries have been forced to restrict the mobility of people and have chosen to close most commercial establishments.
Personal care items, vehicle accessories, food and beverages are some of the products most demanded by consumers, who have migrated to digital platforms to make their purchases.
In the current scenario of confinement due to the health crisis in the region, consumers have disappeared from physical stores and have migrated to digital platforms to buy their products.
×
4225Government Procurement Opportunities in the region
español
4225
