While Coronavirus plays its part in our daily life, healthcare and social behaviour, it also heavily impacts our shopping habits. For a fact, some product categories grow in popularity even while you are reading this. On the other hand, some product categories are declining at alarming rates during the Coronavirus pandemic. While this may be a temporary decline, it still impacts some businesses to the point of bankruptcy. The essential question is, what should you do if you’re a seller of products from one of these categories? In this article, we will go over five product categories that suffered the largest popularity drop due to the quarantine. We’ll also have a look at a few ways you can mitigate the damage caused by decreased popularity.
The most declining products during the Coronavirus pandemic
It is evident that during the Coronavirus pandemic there are some product categories that have seen a spike in popularity, but there are also some products that have been rapidly declining in sales. We’ve investigated data from multiple marketplaces and have compiled a list of product categories that are suffering nowadays. Here are the five most unwanted product categories.
1. Luggage and suitcases
This one was easy, right? Coronavirus created the conditions where we had to change our social behaviour. Most of the world announced quarantine, which completely stopped travelling among countries, and in some cases – even inside the country. Additionally, people do not need to buy things for travelling, so luggage and suitcases are now unwanted. Even briefcases aren’t in their best place now, because most people who would buy them are working remotely and buying their future work supplies is not at the top of their minds.
2. Swimwear
No travelling = no pools? I am not sure if this equation is correct, but this time last year was the perfect moment to order your swimwear and get it right before the summer. Now, according to sellers, because of the Coronavirus effect on the travel business, the swimwear product category has fallen out of popularity. As we all know, travel businesses are now experiencing their worst times, but it also affects swimwear sellers. In most countries, the quarantine is being extended for seemingly indefinitely, which means that all travel plans have to be put on hold until the situation changes.
3. Event & Party Supplies
Well, this category is enormous and covers all the biggest events – Easter Holidays, Weddings, Birthdays, etc. The Coronavirus not only affected our social behaviour but it also changed the way we celebrate holidays and important occasions. Because of the quarantine, people are not allowed to go to gatherings or be in groups of any size. Self-isolation is the best way to stop the spread of Coronavirus. With this in mind, it is obvious why Event & Party Supplies are suffering right now.
4. Sunglasses
No need to go out, no need to wear your shades… Quarantine more or less made us involuntary introverts, and while we are at home, the sun is not that dangerous to our eyes. But why aren’t people buying them for future use? The answer lies somewhere between the first and the second of the most declining product categories during the pandemic. Because all travelling is cancelled, and it is unclear when we will be able to travel around the world freely, nobody wants to buy seasonal items. Unfortunately, sunglasses fit into this category.
5. Camping equipment
Sadly, quarantine puts high limitations on nearly all our lifestyle activities, and camping is not an exception. Almost everywhere, people are not allowed to leave their homes without a serious reason. That is why campers now have to stay in their own homes, and products for camping are declining in popularity during the Coronavirus pandemic. This situation is not completely predictable, so it is hard to say when people will be allowed to travel without restrictions. That is why customers are not tempted to buy things that they might not be able to use for a long time.
What to do if your product is declining during the Coronavirus pandemic?
First of all, as we mentioned before, nobody knows when the situation will change. It is hard to precisely predict when the Coronavirus will stop spreading and it will be safe enough to cancel the quarantine. That is why you can’t just sit there and wait till everything works out. You need to try something new, and we have two tips that might help.
1. Offer some special deals
If you see that your product sales are declining during this period, you need to make an offer that the customer couldn’t resist. Try a discount program, special offers or free shipping. Try to find a new selling point that will help you attract customers. People might not need your product right now, but everyone knows that the quarantine will end sooner or later, so eventually they will need it. Create such a good deal that people won’t have any other option than to just buy your products and wait to use it.
2. Become creative with your marketing
Now is the best time to bring all your brilliant ideas into reality! Everyone spends most of their time at home, which means that it is the best time to show the world what your business is really about. Be creative and demonstrate your products in a new way. You can also use newsletters to remind your customers about your brand or to announce special deals. Be creative and use marketing as your weapon during this sensitive period.
3. Create the perfect customer experience
During the Coronavirus pandemic and when your products are declining, you don’t have any right to make mistakes. Your customers need to have the best experience ever. That is why you have to optimise your workflow and eliminate all possible errors that could affect your customer’s experience. Try to automate your order fulfilment, and try new software, like Multiorders. During this sensitive period, we offer all our customers a free two-week trial that includes all our features!