DEEP DIVE
1
HOME DELIVERY
T
71%
HE COVID-19
pandemic accelerated many trends that were already happening, and the growth of online shopping and home delivery is one. With most of the population only leaving their homes for very specific reasons during lockdown, and often with more time and, in many cases, more disposable income on their hands as a result of not having to commute, demand for online purchases increased rapidly and, with it, for delivery to their door. And it looks like this is here to stay following the easing of lockdown. After a year of disappointing growth in 2019, and a slow start to 2020, online sales grew significantly, rising year-on-year by 23.8 per cent in April, 32.7 per cent in May and 41.3 per cent in the week during June when many non-essential stores reopened, according to analyst firm IMRG. Such growth was inevitably influenced by the fact that all non-essential stores were shut during lockdown, but the ongoing threat of coronavirus and the prospect of people working from home on a more regular basis means home delivery is likely to be a more prominent part of our lives in future, alongside the potential for more local shopping. For small firms, offering home delivery can add greater choice for customers, and could prove essential should physical premises be required to shut down again. Research by FSB from April, during lockdown, found 9 per cent of all small firms had started making deliveries to customers as a result of the crisis, with the number rising to 11 per
The amount of customers who want free home delivery, according to a report by TWC.
38% want the minimum spend limit removed
Covid-19 has ushered in a new era where it is rapidly becoming the norm for items to be delivered to our front doors. Small firms will hope to benefit
24%
The proportion of businesses that launched a new delivery service during lockdown, according to Quotezone.co.uk
Door to door
34 | firstvoice | october 2020-january 2021
34-35 deep dive_First Voice Oct-Dec 2020_First Voice 34
The amount of retail sales in June that were online, according to the Office for National Statistics
The number of Starship robots that have been pounding the streets of Milton Keynes, delivering groceries and dinners to customers
27% The growth in sales by Ocado in the first half of 2020, on the back of online shopping and home delivery firstvoice.fsb.org.uk
17/09/2020 15:19
