Given the economic crisis generated by the covid-19 outbreak, nine out of ten companies operating locally reduced their revenues and one out of three made temporary closures.
Between May and August 2020, a COVID-19 section was included in the Directory of Businesses and Establishments (DEE) as part of the update, in order for businesses to indicate what the main effects of the pandemic were.
After the Costa Rican government announced that they are evaluating the option of lifting as of March the sanitary measure that restricts the free circulation of vehicles on weekends, the trade union of the commercial sector considers that this would be a great relief for the economy.
On Sunday night, the government informed that it is analyzing the elimination of the traffic restriction applied on weekends.
Although in Costa Rica during December 2020 most businesses increased their sales by about 10%, the expectations of the sector's entrepreneurs for the first quarter of 2021 are still uncertain.
The year 2020 was marked by an economic crisis, which was generated by the outbreak of covid-19 at a global level. In this context, the Costa Rican commercial sector managed to oxygenate its finances with the end of the year celebrations.
The restriction to vehicle circulation and the need to play sports during the quarantine decreed due to the covid-19 outbreak, are some of the factors that boosted the purchase of bicycles in the Costa Rican market.
Figures from the National Customs Service of the Ministry of Finance show that between January and November 2019 and the same period in 2020, bicycle imports increased by 11%.
In the context of the economic crisis that Costa Rica is going through due to the pandemic, businessmen from the commercial sector reported that the "Black Friday" sales of 2020 were similar to those of 2019.
Despite the drop in commercial activity generated by the covid-19 outbreak, executives of the Chamber of Commerce reported that sales reached an acceptable level, which can be explained, in part, by the commercial strategies applied by the establishments.
Lincoln Plaza began operating a virtual platform in which customers can purchase products that are sold in the physical stores that already operate in the property.
EPK, Uno Sports, Claire's, Totto, Xiami, Miniso, TOYS, Liberia Internacional, Opticas Munkel, Aldo Nero, Ibiza and GNC, are some of the stores that will offer their products through the new digital platform.
Maintaining proper inventories to meet demand, having a robust logistics system and an electronic sales channel that protects your customers when they make a purchase, are part of the challenges that businesses face in this new reality.
With "Black Friday" and Christmas approaching, commercial establishments in the region are beginning to apply their sales and promotion strategies, with which they will try to recover part of their income.
Greater preference for private brands, less use of cash and fewer purchases but in higher volumes, are some of the characteristics of current consumer behavior when it comes to demanding mass consumption products.
In this new business scenario, market research companies continue to focus on understanding the new consumption habits of people in all countries in the region.
Understanding audiences and visualizing the client as the center and reason for the company's existence is fundamental to adapting business models to the new commercial reality.
The statistics, trends and projections that were used to analyze and define business models and strategies before the pandemic lost their validity due to the emergence of a new economic and commercial reality.
With the change in the configuration of the markets and businesses, companies must think clearly, adapt to the new rules of the game and avoid, as far as possible, immediately implementing the policy of low prices.
The economic crisis resulting from the outbreak of covid-19 has changed the rules of the game in the markets at a global level. Some companies, in their attempt to stay in business, have opted to lower their prices, even to levels where they could incur losses.
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.
Since 2017, commercial activity in Costa Rica has been slowing down, but with the closures of businesses due to the covid-19 outbreak, between March and July of this year, sales have fallen considerably.
In this context of restrictions on movement and social distancing measures, which began in March of this year, approximately 30% of shops were reported to have closed and it is estimated that just in July, sales in the commercial sector fell by 68% compared to the same month in 2019.
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.
Considerable investments in the digitalization of operations, the closure of small stores and the expansion of the commercial area of the best located sales points, is part of the strategy that companies are beginning to implement in the new context of business transformation.
Managers of large corporations agree that several companies were already making progress in digitizing sales and operations, but the pandemic ended up persuading decision makers of the need to focus on online sales, and simultaneously accompany it with a plan to transform physical stores.
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