Wednesday
April 15, 2020

• Sixty-one percent of respondents think consumers will spend the same amount or more than they previously did before the coronavirus pandemic.
• Most respondents believe the types of products they sell—not macroeconomic factors—are the reason why customers are either buying or not buying from them right now.
• Sixty-five percent said they plan to adapt how they sell, and expect they’ll sell more products online and put more marketing resources toward their online business.

Despite negative economic conditions, our data has shown that the number of consumers shopping online is increasing and that certain categories are faring well during this time. According to our most recent survey data (April 15, 2020), 61 percent of respondents said they believe consumers will spend the same amount or more than they did before the coronavirus pandemic started once stay-at-home orders ease.

When asked why they believe their sales are being affected, more respondents said they believe their losses or gains are due to the products they offer rather than other external factors like economic uncertainty or rising unemployment.

Brands expect to grow their online businesses into the future, regardless of how their sales are currently trending. About two-thirds of respondents (66 percent of brands with increasing sales and 65 percent of brands with decreasing sales) said they plan to sell more products online and put more marketing resources toward their online business.

Brands with increasing sales

Brands with decreasing sales

Effective Marketing Moments

What’s working?

Providing free and valuable content. Hummingbird Bakery, a provider of cakes and desserts, sends out one “Homing Bird” recipe a day with baking tips from their recipe book by email. They also share it across their social media channels. This is an innovative way to keep their community of customers and followers engaged with their brand.

Playful marketing messaging. Bath & Body Works, a personal care brand that sells lotions and soaps, sent an email highlighting their new soaps—a product perfect for a time when hand-washing is more important than ever.

In their email, they use playful marketing messaging like, “Find your getaway at the sink. So tropical, these suds practically require a passport.” This messaging reminds us that, despite current travel restrictions, the smell and experience of these products can evoke memories, which can help to provide comfort during this time.

Brands with increasing sales

How are they feeling?

Many brands with increasing sales say they think their online presence will be even stronger after the coronavirus crisis has passed, and they’re attributing that to acquiring more new customers during this time.

One brand said, “By bringing in new customers through our Shopify store during this time, we believe this will build our brand awareness and [we’ll eventually] see more consumers purchasing at the retail shops we are sold in.”

Another brand said, “I believe sales will go back to the usual volume. We sell activewear, and more people are trying to stay active at home currently. As our database is slowly growing with these sales, hopefully these new customers will shop with us again once life returns to ‘normal’.”

As you continue to evolve your marketing strategy, be sure to personalize your marketing to keep your new customers engaged. Use this guide to learn how to create advanced segmentation.

What’s next?

Many brands said that once stay-at-home orders ease, they plan to spend more money on ads since promotions and sales are currently helping them to increase their sales.

If you’re new to spending money on ads or if you want to reexamine your strategy, here are three marketing basics to optimize before you spend the money.

Brands with decreasing sales

How are they feeling?

Brands with decreasing sales are feeling like people aren’t buying from their brands primarily because of the specific products they sell, but also because of rising unemployment and economic uncertainty. This is a vastly different outlook than what brands with increasing sales have said.

Brands with sales that are decreasing are mostly feeling like sales will rebound back to previous levels before the pandemic.

What’s next?

Brands with decreasing sales say that once stay-at-home orders ease, they plan to offer more sales and promotions, and they’ll also ramp up their marketing resources and ad spend.

One way to optimize your ad spend on Facebook is to make sure you’re targeting the right audiences, and that starts with Facebook’s lookalike algorithm. For tips on how to create effective Facebook audiences, check out these resources:

• Create a value-based lookalike audience with Klaviyo
• Integrate owned marketing with your Facebook advertising strategy
• Guide to advanced targeting on Facebook and Instagram

Brands with flat sales

How are they feeling?

Brands with flat sales are feeling optimistic, though unsure about the future. Fifty-five percent of brands with flat sales said they think customers will spend the same amount or more than they did before the pandemic, while 45 percent say they’re unsure of how much money they think their customers will spend once stay-at-home orders ease.

What’s next?

Many brands with flat sales have acquired new customers during this time, and they’re hopeful that these customers will continue to shop with them once the pandemic has passed.

One brand highlighted trust as a key factor in building loyalty. “Hopefully, they [new customers] will see us as a brand they can trust and [will] want to build a longer relationship with us.”

Another brand said they “aim to convert new online customers to become long-term customers.”

Several brands also said they plan to focus internally and revise many aspects of their business like their ad spend.

One brand said they plan to “increase advertising, add products and variety, change [our] logo, [send] scheduled weekly emails, [and] offer products in spa(s).”