Situational Thinking + Phased Preparation + Motivated Rally

After the Spring Festival stay-in comes a new round in the fight against COVID

China's nationwide efforts against the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak have boosted the already rapid development of the “home economy", driving China's world-leading online services to a higher level.

Whether it is staying up to order groceries on the phone at midnight, or thoughtful innovations in non-contact delivery, the mutual support found in WeChat community groups, or offline stockpiling by people who seldom leave their homes to shop for groceries at supermarkets, recent developments prove that products, channels, services, and experiences are evolving around the clock. Aside from the aforementioned stress reactions, the months-long battle against the coronavirus outbreak is sure to change Chinese consumers’ daily habits, consumption patterns and ways of thinking.

Everyone is concerned about the evolution of the novel coronavirus, but it is time to resume work and production. The adoption of remote work and education have interfered with people's post-holiday consumption, challenging the consumer products and retail industry.

In this special context, consumer product and retail enterprises should consider the following three questions:

1. Do we have a full, accurate understanding of the changes to consumer end demand and scenarios?
2. Have we started making term plans for our resources and capabilities in different situations?
3. Are we prepared to grasp potential growth opportunities and even achieve transcendent development or overtake peers after the epidemic reaches its turning point?

Memory of a consumer’s typical day

Consumers utilize mature O2O services to make their lives more refined and convenient, gradually making mobile terminals to enable rapid coordination of online and offline scenarios.

Consumers’ current typical day

Forced to spend much more time on online work and education platforms, consumers have started to rely on doing most of their daily work and tasks through mobile, O2O non-contact services.

Three industry predictions

Transformation and upgrading is vital, and innovation essential for scenario-based services

Everyone is impacted by the epidemic. The anti-COVID battle's effect on consumers' daily lives can be seen every minute and in every area, especially in food & beverage, apparel & footwear, beauty, retail and education. We predict three scenarios for these industries once the epidemic is under control.

Food & Beverage

Food & beverage enterprises can, according to identified pain points, speed up R&D on semi-processed and instant food, increase e-commerce capabilities and use precision marketing to win customers.

Apparel & Footwear

Offline sales have been difficult this spring, but even before the market recovers as the epidemic wanes, offline pressure and the need to liquidate inventory can be harnessed to develop online sales.

Beauty

Amid suppressed short-term demand, brands should promptly adjust their marketing content and product portfolios, and accumulate loyal customers and valuable consumer data through a rare window during which online shopping is the mainstream.

Retail

Retail enterprises should remove all obstacles to and accelerate omnichannel layout, as well as put themselves in consumers’ shoes to reflect on and optimize shopping process design and improve the shopping experience.

Education

COVID-19 has boosted the development of online education. The next stage will see a focus on new traffic conversion, O2O business model creation and regional expansion.

Suggestions

Get ready for a new, better start!

Conclusion

Despite the novel coronavirus break, life continues for each of us as ordinary consumers …

Many of our clients in the consumer products and retail sector have been the backbone of society’s fight against COVID-19!

We hope more consumer and retail enterprises under stress will fully utilize this opportunity to enhance their situational thinking, emphasize phased preparation, and skillfully rally from current lows.

Best wishes,

We hope that as the epidemic ends and Spring comes, you will remain strong, happy and healthy!