Channels to Market The Covid-19 pandemic has had many negative impacts for businesses across the economy, with Design-Intensive and Craft enterprises no exception. However, the disruption to traditional ‘business-as-usual’ has also presented both the opportunity and the driver for those enterprises to adapt and to embrace alternative ways to engage with consumers and the channels to market through which they sell to them. The DCCI Annual Client Economic Survey provides some indication of the impacts of those changes. In particular, it highlights increases both in ‘direct to consumer’ (B2C – Business-toConsumer) sales and ‘online sales’ as a proportion of business turnover, with a 9% increase year-on-year in the former and an almost doubling of the latter from 18% to 35% in 2020. Despite the pandemic, 40% of those surveyed saw increased revenue in 2020, with many businesses reporting a stronger 2020 performance compared to 2019 largely driven by growth in online sales. While traditional sales to a third-party retailer (B2B – Business-to-Business) and on to the final consumer will undoubtedly remain a key channel to market given wider retail trends, it would not appear premature to suggest that this represents a more permanent change in how Design-Intensive and Craft enterprises market themselves and bring their products to market. Indeed, one stakeholder consulted as part of this research summed up this trend when they referenced their ability to market and sell products that they make in a garage in Donegal to customers across the world. In short, it presents near limitless possibilities for Ireland’s Design and Craft sectors.
Figure 21: Direct to Consumer Sales Channel, 2019-2020
Figure 22: Online Sales as a % of Total Revenue, 2019-2020
57%
35%
48%
18%
2019
2019
2020
2020
Source: CSO, EUROSTAT, DCCI Annual Client Economic Survey, Grant Thornton Analysis
Economic Impact Assessment of the Design and Craft Sectors in Ireland
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