[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/06\/08\/covid-19-e-commerce-stats\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/06\/08\/covid-19-e-commerce-stats\/","headline":"Staggering COVID-19 e-commerce stats: But what do businesses need to DO?","name":"Staggering COVID-19 e-commerce stats: But what do businesses need to DO?","description":"COVID-19 e-commerce stats show staggering online growth, but what do businesses need to do in order to keep customers and meet their expectations? ","datePublished":"2020-06-08","dateModified":"2022-03-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/stephanie-thum\/#Person","name":"Stephanie Thum","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/stephanie-thum\/","identifier":334,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/05bbc9017e3f89b9d6d4846c0cf0828093f534181adceca83e1773c2378f6385?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/05bbc9017e3f89b9d6d4846c0cf0828093f534181adceca83e1773c2378f6385?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/covid-19-e-commerce-stats.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/covid-19-e-commerce-stats.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/06\/08\/covid-19-e-commerce-stats\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/e-commerce\/","name":"E-Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/E-commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q484847"]}],"wordCount":654,"articleBody":"Mind-blowing. Eyebrow-raising. Staggering. No matter which word you use to describe it, there have been some remarkable COVID-19 e-commerce stats coming out recently in connection to the pandemic.For example, some traditional brick-and-mortar retailers saw online orders go up by 42% in the U.S. and Canada in just a couple of weeks alone, according to this article.There was a 218% surge in downloads for Instacart, which is an app you can use to arrange for home delivery of your household groceries, according to this article.These e-commerce statistics and others got me to thinking…COVID-19 e-commerce stats: The numbers and opportunities are incredible, but what do businesses need to DO?Practically speaking, what do businesses need to consider, operationally, in getting feedback from all those new and returning e-commerce customers? With the surge in online buying, do customer feedback collection practices need to change? If so, then how?Because here’s another statistic for you: According to analysis, the number of customers leaving feedback in the form of online reviews on Amazon.com recently doubled. Retail giants Walmart and Target have also seen a surge in online customer reviews.Customers have more to say than ever before in those online reviews. According to Revuze\u2019s data, what customers are saying about products, service, and delivery is different than it was just a few months ago. Simply put, expectations and preferences are changing.Based on that spike in online buying, a corresponding surge in online reviews, and customers\u2019 changing sentiments, it’s safe to say companies may need to rethink when, where, and how they collect and analyze customer feedback.Surveys are probably no longer enoughContinual surges in online buying will inevitably lead to more customers sharing feedback where, when, and how they want, through online reviews.That means customer surveys that many organizations have leaned on for years to gather feedback from customers will no longer be enough.Unstructured data from online reviews is now calling for the business world\u2019s attention. Companies will need to collect and analyze other forms of feedback with as much vigor and commitment as customer surveys.But approaching the unstructured feedback from online reviews, especially in a quickly changing business landscape, requires a different practical approach.Fast is the new reality: Artificial intelligence comes center stageIn some instances, companies and government organizations employ full-time analysts who manually scan that unstructured data for trends. That effort can take days, weeks, or sometimes months to complete.Unfortunately, though, few organizations have the leisure of time right now. The world – and customer expectations – are changing every few days or weeks. Fast is the new reality. Long analyst triage times can lead to too many missed business opportunities.There is almost no other choice now. Voice-of-the-customer (VOC) tools that are powered by artificial intelligence need to take a more dominant spot in companies\u2019 CX toolboxes.Artificial intelligence VOC tools can scan large volumes of customer comments and unstructured feedback\u2014spotting problems, opportunities, business risks, and threats for businesses quickly, before humans can.Consider the competitive intelIf that’s not enough to convince you, then consider this:Online reviews are public information. Because of that, AI-powered tools that help you understand your own customers\u2019 experiences can also help you understand what your competitors are doing well that you should consider in your own service design, products, and business policies.Imagine what can be done with that type of business and competitive intelligence.The world of customer experience\u2014specifically the ways in which companies collect and synthesize customer feedback\u2014is about to get more fascinating than what we ever imagined.The new era of e-commerce that’s upon us now, along with AI-powered VOC tools, will make it so.  Relationship status: Complicated.AI in e-commerce is critical, but obstacles around data privacy, talent, and integration are slowing adoption. Our powerhouse panel has the stats + strategies you’re looking for. Register HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"06","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/06\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/06\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Staggering COVID-19 e-commerce stats: But what do businesses need to DO?","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/06\/08\/covid-19-e-commerce-stats\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]