It doesn’t matter how big or small your brand is. If you want to succeed two decades into the 21st-century, you need to have an online presence.
It’s a tenet that TruLife Distribution firmly believes in. It’s also a principle that’s being reinforced by the new concern over the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
How the Omicron Variant Is Shaking Up Business
The year and a half since the coronavirus pandemic began have been life-changing, to say the least — and businesses are no exception to the rule. Work from home, social distancing, and countless other factors have had a ripple effect on how companies operate.
For retailers, the biggest change has to be the mass migration online. E-commerce has boomed even as storefronts have struggled to reopen. When things originally started to look better at the end of last year, the Delta variant struck. This caused a renewed wave of fear and concern and a further emphasis on the need for e-commerce.
Now, as 2021 comes to an end, WHO has officially labeled the Omicron variant as the newest concern in the ongoing pandemic. This already led to an immediate dip in the stock market and prophetic warnings that the ongoing bull market may finally correct.
The following weeks and months will show if these early events turn out to be justified or not. Regardless, though, the ongoing concern could lead to another pullback as the world tries to escape the economic whirlpool caused by the pandemic.
The question that we’re asking at TruLife Distribution is what businesses can glean from the experience in the midst of the chaos.
The Biggest Short Term Lesson from the Omicron Variant
Whether Omicron ends up being as serious as the Delta variant or not, there’s a good chance that businesses across the U.S. will feel its effects in the short term. Many regions have begun to implement new restrictions. Others could follow.
Businesses should use this opportunity to continue to develop their ability to weather a lack of brick-and-mortar clientele.
We’ve seen multiple clients pivot from heavily in-person business models to an e-commerce alternative. This has allowed them to continue to keep revenue flowing, even when foot traffic was low.
The Omicron variant has offered yet another chance for this e-commerce “fallback” option to take effect. As businesses consider leaning once again on their online storefronts, they should pay close attention to the details.
The initial shift online primarily took place last year. That means the e-commerce infrastructure is already in place for most businesses. Now, the reaction to the Omicron variant provides a chance for brands to practice their emergency retail preparedness in real-time — and during the holiday season, no less.
Long Term Lessons from the Omicron Variant
Along with the short-term shift online, companies should continue to look for long-term lessons that they can continue to apply far into the future.
Only time will tell how the Omicron variant plays out. However, the one certainty at this point is that uncertainty is going to continue to be the order of business for a long time to come. This makes it imperative that businesses of all sizes figure out how to remain flexible, no matter what comes their way.
Regardless of how the current situation looks down the road, businesses should be using these events to figure out how to operate in perpetuity. At TruLife Distribution, we’re convinced that this consists of two critical factors.
For starters, a strong e-commerce presence has become a life-saving asset for practically every kind of business. If and when things return to normal, an e-commerce site should remain firmly in everyone’s budget.
The TruLife Distribution Impact on Long-Term Planning
The second critical factor, along with e-commerce, is the need to build up a support network. This can provide additional security and valuable direction when things go south.
At TruLife Distribution, our goal is to provide cutting-edge retail guidance and assistance for both the brick-and-mortar and e-commerce sides of a company. Once a relationship is established, we work as a team with our clients.
We help them develop their own e-commerce stores and list them on countless other third-party sites. This ensures that they have the best chance of surviving any economic shifts and challenges when they arise.
So, take a second to step back and consider your company’s current situation. Are you panicking at the thought of another setback in your pandemic exit strategy? Or are you ready to adapt? Is your e-commerce presence as strong as ever? Or did it fall off since the economy began to reopen?
If you’re struggling to prepare for the challenges of the future, we invite you to join our team. We’re standing by, ready to help you every step of the way.
