LOCAL retailers expect to book higher sales this quarter compared to earlier months due to a surge in orders amid the Christmas season, and they are preparing their logistics to meet the demand.
Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) President Rosemarie Bosch Ong, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, said that retailers are “optimistic” this last quarter because of the easing of mobility restrictions and tempered Covid-19 cases in the country.
“After months of lockdowns and being away from family, consumers are expected to make this Christmas season extra special this year, so retailers are preparing for a surge of sales during this period,” she said, adding that, “local businesses are confident that business will be more upbeat and livelier during this quarter.”
Ong sees the products that adhere to healthy lifestyle preferences will be on trend this season amid the pandemic.
With further adoption of e-commerce, the PRA official said that the supply chain is likely to deal with bottlenecks, especially because of the shortage in containers for shipment.
“As the Christmas season is fast approaching and e-commerce will still likely to be the most extensive form of retailing during this time of pandemic, retailers are already preparing and gearing up for the logistics and supply chain management,” she said.
Ong said the retailers need to team up with efficient logistics partners who can “help them provide their customers smooth transactions from the beginning of their shopping journey until the last-mile fulfilment.”
In addition, she stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy inventory level.
Ong noted that the retail industry is among the sectors adversely affected by the pandemic, given the mobility restrictions that dampened demand. Some retailers had to temporarily stop operations or close down their stores, she said.
To keep the businesses afloat, she said retailers shifted to an e-commerce strategy amid the accelerated adoption of digital platforms in pandemic.
“With this shift of focus on online retailing, retailers had to also do new capacity building and re-skilling of people that will complement both the online and offline stores,” Ong explained.
“Furthermore, retailers had to keep up with the changing consumer demands and spending habits,” she said. “Listening and understanding the new customer behavior and what they want and need during this pandemic are crucial in keeping customers engaged and generating sales.”
According to omnichannel solutions provider Hatch, online retailers need to target their customers in social-media platforms by adapting to trends and monitoring their behavior in the digital space.
Joris Kroese, its founder, told this newspaper previously that the social commerce strategy of the businesses should consider which social-media platform is best suited to market their products online. He stressed the need for brands to check on which platforms their target customers spend their time mostly, in addition to paying attention to social-media trends “so that they know how best to capture their attention.”