March of this year was a record breaking month for eCommerce, with total sales $93 billion above the previously estimated amount. This likely comes as no surprise as this was the peak of the state mandated retail closures in many areas across the country, and while we don’t except this type of jump to be permanent there is expected to be a permanent increase in eCommerce sales, and a permanent decrease in brick & mortar sales.
There are varying studies and reports as to what the final long term shift will have been, but everything points to there being a pronounced shift to eCommerce sales. This should also come as no surprise to anyone, it has been happening for the last 20 years. COVID-19 has simply accelerated that shift by forcing new shoppers into the online space, and making them come to expect new fulfillment methods.
Every retailer needs to decide what path, and investments, are best for their business, and for some eCommerce may not be a space which they would like get involved with, and that is ok. However, with the ease of launching and maintaining a site today, we believe that for the vast majority of retailers, opening a second revenue channel with an eCommerce website is a sound business decision.
