People will have had enough of board games, yoga mats, yeast and lying in front of the TV zapping Netflix. After the coronavirus outbreak will be gone – hopefully sooner rather then later -, what we will find is people who will move to different items and buying priorities.
Right now it`s a lot of essentials for the household, food, fitness and ways to pass time in the isolation of your home. But as we settle, gifting will get much bigger (as people aren`t seeing each other in person) plus anything home comfort related – people are going to want to feel snuggled when they are back home.
According to Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist, people are currently purchasing items based on three needs: to protect, to entertain and to connect.
In addition to food supplies, people have been purchasing gloves, soap, diapers, water filters and jugs, bidets and painter’s tape, according to data analysis by Thinknum of Amazon sales from late January through the second week of March.
“I think people are anxious and people feel that this an unsafe world right now,” Yarrow said.
“Unsurprisingly, nondiscretionary or essential categories such as food, household products, personal care and health products saw the biggest jump,” Deborah Weinswig, CEO and founder, Coresight Research, wrote in a research note recently about the impact of the coronavirus on consumers.
“More than one-third of all respondents reported buying more food and/or more household products,” she said of Coresight’s survey of more than 1,000 people March 17-18.
Once folks feel like they are physically safe — have enough food and protection — there is a shift to buying items that are more geared toward emotional well-being.
Several e-commerce niches that will explode after the coronavirus outbreak
Once people go back to normal, or they feel ”normality approaches”, then there will be a lot of spending on non-essentials and frivolity and a lot of parties going on, so if you want an idea sell party poppers and champagne, for example.
ALL the once avoided places will get crowded – if only for several days and nights. People will get out of their bungalows and they`ll start traveling, they`ll go to movie theatres, restaurants/bars and, of course, coffee shops. And, obviously, for those that still have a decent paid job after the recession, it`s time for a shopping spree that`ll definitely soothe the spirit. Here are some ideas on what you should test selling after the coronavirus outbreak:
- Party supplies: personalize them, build up your brand even DURING the pandemic. Remember – people need to socialize a lot after being isolated for so many weeks;
- Kids party decals & outdoor toys – from accessories for kids bicycles, personalized skateboards (print on demand), to baby carriers, baby moccasins, mother and baby beanie hats, all of these and plenty other will be on high demand when entire families will start going out once again;
- Sporting gear & equipment – people will want to restart their training, either hiking, bicycle ride, swimming or just restarting the usual schedule of going to the gym, they’ll want brand new, modern, tech friendly and shiny equipment;
- Beauty products, jewelry – ready to get out and be seen by all the world? Better prepare some out of the box, shiny beauty products!
- Clothing and accessories – can’t get out of the house with your “so last season” clothes, can you? Better start marketing your clothing niche asap;
- Drones, car accessories – these were one of the best selling niches of 2019 and they’ll definitely make a come back in 2020, after the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Pet products & accessories – people will keep loving their pets (even more!) after coronavirus, so they’ll want to spoil them with a brand new necklace, fancy sweater and great food. After all, for some, pets were the only companions during the outbreak, so take it in consideration for a Shopify dropshipping niche.
Stock up on sales prospects, also!
Just like stocking up on supplies that you
think your house may need in case of a quarantine, you also need to
“stock up” on sales prospects. You should be doing that now rather than later.
Devote extra time, effort and resources to prospecting and lead generation,
right now, even if you’re currently busy.
Even if you’re not owning an e-shop that has been directly impacted by
coronavirus so far, there is the possibility that this outbreak could lead to
wider and more severe economic impacts. Your business will be well-served by
having a deeper pool of prospective clients to work with over the long term.
Even if the coronavirus turns out to be a short-term panic, or if it’s worse
than expected and the U.S. economy goes into a recession, it’s never a bad idea
to invest in a well-stocked pipeline of sales prospects.
What to do DURING the coronavirus outbreak
As Oberlo advises, during the coronavirus outbreak you definitely should keep yourself busy! Here are some tips:
Make Use of the Extra Time
We all have those tasks that could use some attention but aren’t a priority. Well now is the perfect time to get them done. Make use of the time that you would normally spend creating ads or fulfilling orders and do some of the following:
Build Social Channels
Organically building a social media following is hard work and takes time, but it’s also fantastic for building your brand and social proof. For businesses that are already established, look into ways you can improve on what you already have, follow similar companies and take inspiration, increase how much you post, or open an account on a new social media platform.
For newer merchants, you could test potential winning products on social media to see which items do the best. Open separate Instagram accounts for each and test the market.
Setting Email Sequences
If you’ve been collecting email addresses but haven’t done much in the way of email marketing, now is the time to change that. Forget just having automated abandon cart emails, do some research on full email sequences that don’t let any of your visitors slip through the cracks.
But don’t just set up email sequences, think about other systems you can put in place that will help you maximize your time and your business in the future. Upselling sequences, chatbots, and marketing automation platforms are all examples of things that you could start now and that would save you time in the future.
Write Blog Posts and Work on SEO
Search engine optimization can bring a ton of visitors to your store but it is an area often neglected by dropshippers. If you have some spare time, do some research on how you can first optimize your current website, such as your homepage and your product pages, then move onto writing optimized blog posts. Not only will optimized blog posts bring visitors to your store, but they’ll help establish a brand and give your store added value.
Set Up a Home Office
Do you do most of your work from your bed or on the couch? While it’s comfortable, it’s not exactly the most productive way to work long term. Take this opportunity to rearrange your bedroom, lounge, or home office into a workstation that’s not only functional, but inspiring.
Stay Busy and Upskill
Upskilling is always a good idea, especially when you have extra spare time. Whether you’re new to dropshipping or you’ve been in the game for awhile, there is unlimited information about what you can do to improve your business online.
Taking the time to research each aspect of your business will only benefit you in the long run, so think of it as an opportunity or investment, rather than something you’re doing to ride out this unprecedented delay.
What do YOU think will be the selling opportunities after coronavirus? What would you buy? Let us know in the comments section below.