Manufacturers and farmers who deliver directly to their homes, Facebook profiles, Instragram, WhatsApp, neighbors or acquaintances who distribute food or household products, are some of the new sales channels that have emerged in this new business context.
The new business normality that emerged in an accelerated manner in Central America, due to the outbreak of covid-19 and the imposition of social distancing measures, favored the conditions for new marketing channels to be born in the different markets.
The abrupt change in consumer habits forced companies to digitalize their operations and sales, but the challenges do not stop there, as companies will have to implement effective logistics systems to reach their customers.
In Central America, more than 800,000 people are looking to buy items to decorate a house or apartment online, and of this group of consumers, approximately 12% explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories.
The interactive information system of CentralAmericaData, monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets of the region, with fundamental information to understand the current commercial environment in which companies of all industries must operate.
In the region, it is estimated that more than 4 million people show interest in the digital environment for supermarkets, being Walmart, Pricesmart, Paiz, La Torre, La Colonia and Super Selectos, some of the chains that have better positioned in the minds of consumers.
An analysis of the interests and preferences of consumers in Central America, prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, gives interesting results on the preferences and tastes of people in various products, services, store chains, brands and activities.
The Colegio Americano de Guatemala, located in Zone 15 of the Capital, is only a 15-minute drive away, a captive market of over 93,000 people, 30% of whom are between the ages of 6 and 14.
Using the Geomarketing solutions we have developed for our clients, CentralAmericaData's Trade Intelligence Unit analyzed the environment of some of the most important schools in Guatemala.
Does it make sense to keep doing surveys to evaluate, for example, the ranking of a brand, when all the real, honest, and unbiased information can be inferred from people's behavior on the Internet?
"... Traditionally, when teachers or business people needed data, they commissioned surveys. They obtained data in an orderly fashion, either in figures or in boxes marked on questionnaires.
The Almacenes Siman store located in Plaza Gran Vía, in Ciudad Merliot, is a sales point that, at a distance of 15 minutes walking, captures a potential market of over 15 thousand consumers, and 87% of them are interested in footwear.
Using the Geomarketing solutions that we have developed for our clients, CentralAmericaData's Trade Intelligence team analyzed the environment of some of the main department stores in Central America. Below is an excerpt of the study's findings.
Reduction in advertising and marketing budgets in companies and an increase in the preference for investment in television campaigns are part of the changes that are being reported in the context of the new commercial reality.
Radical changes in the ways people relate to each other, new consumer habits and the home confinement decreed by the pandemic have led to a transformation in the advertising sector.
The Portales shopping center, located in zone 17 of Guatemala City, is a sales point that at a distance of 15 minutes walking, it monopolizes a captive market of 23 thousand people, and of them, 18% show interest in the jewels.
In CentralAmericaData we developed a geomarketing tool based on interactive maps, through which you can identify where people are and what characteristics they have as consumers. The map incorporates, for any country in Central America, the variables population, income, average monthly expenditure and consumer interests. With this information, it is possible to identify potential clients and define promotional strategies accordingly, or also explore home delivery times from any sales point.
Until the beginning of June, Central American countries reported a rise in the number of people who moved to locations identified as supermarkets or pharmacies, however, in recent weeks the trend was reversed.
According to data from Google incorporated into the "System for monitoring markets and the economic situation in Central American countries", developed by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, in Panama, where due to the spread of covid-19 the measures of isolation and restriction of mobility have begun to harden in some areas, it has become evident that as of June 24th the visits to establishments identified as supermarkets or pharmacies have fallen.
The health crisis, quarantines and social distancing measures in Central American countries, forced individuals and companies to accelerate the adoption of new technologies, which caused the digital to become the center of all interactions.
In this scenario of covid-19 propagation, companies have had to migrate to the digital at great speed. The digitalization plans that companies were planning to implement in a period of 1 to 3 years are now being implemented in a few weeks, according to an analysis called "The Digital Agenda: Opportunities for the Service Sector", prepared by the Market Intelligence Unit of the Guatemalan Export Association (Agexport).
How many people live around a shopping center, how old they are, what is their consumption level and what products or services they are looking for, are some of the questions that can be answered with the new geomarketing tools.
Measuring the potential demand of micro markets, based on the evaluation of the environment of a shopping center and its comparison with other similar sales points, has become essential to design adequate commercial strategies.
Greater interest in electronic accessories and construction tools for home use are some of the changes that are evident among Guatemalans in the new commercial reality.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
Segmenting customers by prices they are willing to pay, showing the value of the product or service to charge higher prices and being careful when applying discounts are some of the recommendations from experts to avoid losing money.
Ariel Banos, founder of Fijaciondeprecios.com explains some of the myths that exist among business leaders when building a pricing strategy, and what could be the alternatives to not lose money.
Given the gradual return to physical stores, customers will appreciate it if businesses disinfect stores several times a day, if other visitors are required to clean their hands before entering, and if employees use protective equipment at all times.
Although in this context of the spread of covid-19, digital channels have gained ground in Central American markets and this trend is expected to continue in the coming months and years, there are commercial establishments that will have to adjust their face-to-face sales strategy to the demands of the new normality, since there will always be customers who prefer to continue shopping in person.
Beverage Industry Digital Magazine established in 1942, the oldest Spanish trade journal and the only beverage trade magazine serving the Latin American beverage market. It serves soft drink bottlers, brewers, bottled water...