Over 18 months later, we’re still seeing harsh ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses, across many industries, have closed their doors permanently or have been forced to make cuts or lay off their staff. There are consequences that come with these changes and there are impacts that we will see in our future that we would have never imagined pre-pandemic.
While many are seeing hard times, one area that is taking off is eCommerce. People find online shopping to be soothing, they may feel they are doing their part to stimulate the economy, or they just need something to look forward to – that box at their doorstep when they go out for their daily walk. Whatever the reasoning may be, we’re seeing huge increases in the sales of online retailers.
When looking year over year, the numbers are almost hard to believe. With an 8% increase so far in 2021, on top of a 44% increase from 2020 over 2019, the numbers we’re seeing are only continuing to grow. So how can companies keep up with these increases? For starters, they must be fully staffed and have staff willing and able to complete their duties, even more so than they have in the past. Without the proper commitment, orders will not be handled in a timely manner and they may result in missed or incorrect orders. The way that Amazon Prime (and many others) have conditioned customers to expect to receive their products almost immediately has caused a shift in the consumer mindset, and businesses must keep up in order to be successful.
Jack Kleinhenz, NRF Chief Economist, pointed out that “Demand has continued to be strong even as the concentrated impact from government stimulus has faded.” This means that even without government help, the American people are still spending, and it is a trend that will likely continue for months, if not longer. With these stats in mind, we turn to supply chain management, logistics, and distribution companies to help customers stay happy and continue spending.
One of our great divisions, American Distribution Services, has the necessary skills, workers, and commitment to execute logistics and distribution in a timely and efficient manner. Their 20+ years of experience is clear in all that they do, and their fully-staffed team has only grown from the pandemic. We’re so proud to partner with such an amazing company and we’re honored to do our part in helping them keep the economy running smoothly.
If your company is still struggling to get products to market, keeping a full staff, or simply staying afloat in this current pandemic, let us know. Our skill sets and many divisions are proof that we can handle pre-, ongoing, and post-pandemic tendencies, and we’d love nothing more than to help your business continue to grow in the many years to come.