Decoding the hyperlocal behavior of modern-day consumers

Well! You might not have heard about the term ’hyperlocal behavior’, but before you go on to think about it and deviate from what it actually is, let me clearly state that it is the behavior of modern-day consumers that demands hyperlocal deliveries- ones that are quick, safe and convenient.

From the time of the production oriented concept of marketing when consumers were at the ‘extreme’ and ‘least cared about’ end of the marketing spectrum, till today when they are the pivot and at the center of every business activity, marketing has come a long way- from being production oriented to specifically being customer oriented.

In fact, modern day marketing has become so customer centric that even the minutest marketing campaign or course of action cannot be conducted without the customers consideration at the helm. It is perhaps, the evolving consumer behavior and the simultaneous growth of technology that has led businesses to rethink about what they do and how they do it.

Transitioning from traditional ecommerce to hyperlocal ecommerce was anyway a big and rather a tough decision for the corporate policy makers and the entire business fraternity. But courtesy to highly efficient and impeccable hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps, that businesses had the courage to put things in perspective and introduce hyperlocal deliveries in front of the world- one that was changing and wanting refined ecommerce and redefined deliveries.

The birth of hyperlocal deliveries was in tandem with the changing consumer behavior. In fact, one of the most obvious changes brought about by technology in the recent years- say in the last decade or so, has consumers wanting for more and more hyperlocal deliveries. The sudden outbreak of the covid19 pandemic in the beginning of 2020 made the world consumers feel the importance of hyperlocal deliveries to their doorstep- ones that were convenient and contactless signifying safety. Now though the effects of the pandemic have waned, consumers have been wanting more of hyperlocal deliveries ever since.

Attribute it to penetration of technology into their lives, increasing smartphone adoption, want for a more sedentary lifestyle, paucity of time among office goers, peer pressure of going digital, or just-internet habits, consumers of today have just been transformed. They are wanting deliveries of products they order online to be quick, and there they are- really quick and instantaneous. The world of hyperlocal ecommerce has almost everything in store which any contemporary consumer would want. Let us find out.

Consumer expectations of hyperlocal ecommerce

Contactless deliveries- Though the effects of pandemic have diminished to a large extent, there are consumers that just cannot get over it. As much as seeking instant deliveries has become a habit among them, so are they expecting contactless deliveries to happen. Yes! hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps promise contactless deliveries, thereby not just delivering the product at the consumer’s doorsteps but a bundle of mental comfort and satisfaction that the deliveries are contactless and safe.

Speedy delivery- This is what hyperlocal ecommerce is most popularly known for. Call it instant, speedy or quick delivery, hyperlocal deliveries are really lightning quick. Owing to busy and caught-up lifestyles or they getting ravenous about instant deliveries, consumers of today are just not wanting to spare an extra minute waiting for their order to reach them. They want it delivered, the moment they place an order for it- excessively greedy and grasping, no? Instead, a study has revealed, that several of them are willing to pay some extra bucks for instant or same day delivery.

Real time tracking of orders- In today’s transparent world of ecommerce, businesses are wanting to stay as clear and limpid as possible when it comes to delivering products. The modern-day customers too are enjoying and relieved seeing the journey of a product from its point of origin to the destination. To enable this clarity, hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps have bundled the feature of real time tracking of orders in such software and apps- ‘no more time estimates, no more confusion’ sort of clarity. Earlier, neither the technology to do was there, nor the customers were interested to track their orders so frantically.

Multiple payment options- Customers of today have become used to making payments through online methods. They just do not keep enough cash with themselves. As technology has taken over many things, so has it over the payment system. Instead of paying through any other lengthy and tedious mode, hyperlocal ecommerce businesses offer customers to pay instantly via different digital methods viz a viz debit cards, credit cards, stripe, etc. Such a software caters to the needs of modern-day customers by having an inbuilt support for various payment gateways so that digital transactions do not get impeded. Now, this has become a feature that customers of today eagerly look out for in a hyperlocal business while placing online orders. Any thing lacking in that aspect may result for the business in losing the customer who has just become habitual of paying online.

Simple sign-up options- existing in an online marketplace is no mean feat, especially when your competitors are highly capable and competitive. One feature that sets your hyperlocal business website and app apart is its simplicity for the users. Modern day customers just do not bother to spare time signing up with lengthy details on your app. They move to competing hyperlocal businesses that offer them the services they want. Hence, the shorter and simpler signing up is, better it is for the business; because the customers like it.

What does the future hold for hyperlocal ecommerce?

Overwhelmingly impacted by the state-of-the-art technology and automation being incorporated at various levels of a business, consumers of today and modern-day businesses and entrepreneurs seem to be heading in the right direction. With internet and technology defining the practice of businesses and behavior of consumers, the future of hyperlocal ecommerce looks pretty promising.

Hyperlocal ecommerce, owing to its inherent nature of making instant and convenient deliveries has just about hit the right spot and at the most opportune time. It would not be wrong to say that the outbreak of the pandemic in the year 2020 was a blessing in disguise for many people. Aspiring hyperlocal businesses and risk-taking entrepreneurs took the plunge of delivering orders via a hyperlocal model, and since then it has been a pleasant ride for them. Going with the same gusto and momentum, hyperlocal deliveries have molded customer behavior to a significant extent.

Having done that, consumers do not seem to be getting detached from hyperlocal delivery services any time soon. Instead, they are making even a greater financial contribution to the hyperlocal space by being frequent, if not regular in placing online orders through hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps.

This is tremendously symbolic of the fact that customers have perfectly acclimatized themselves to the hyperlocal delivery model and hyperlocal ecommerce has the likelihood to flourish like anything in the times to arrive.

Wrapping up

Consumers of today having become used to hyperlocal delivery services are in no mood to let it go. Instead, otherwise they have got a firm hold of it and are welcoming of what is to arrive in the hyperlocal industry. Be it the coming into being of drone deliveries, delivery through robots, artificial intelligence enabled business practices, blockchain technology and cutting-edge technological automation, the modern-day consumers are game for it.

With the likelihood of consumers increasingly wanting a more refined form of instant and convenient deliveries, hyperlocal ecommerce appears beautifully set to build upon the current customer needs, demands and circumstances- ones that need unbelievably quick deliveries, conveniently and safely delivered to their homes- a thing which only the hyperlocal model is perfectly capable of fulfilling.

With that said, one thing that can be known is that consumer behavior has transformed a lot over the previous few years- from moving out for shopping to preferring to stay back at home and ordering things of their need and choice online, consumers of today have become completely ravenous for easy, instant and convenient deliveries. And to this need fulfilment of theirs, there needs to be a flawless hyperlocal model and an efficient and a robust hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software- that works tirelessly at the backend.

With such impeccable software and apps around and at the helm of modern-day business practices, hyperlocal ecommerce appears set to go all guns blazing in the hyperlocal industry; and the customers in there would be highly satisfied ones, or who knows, even one notch up- the delighted ones. Yes! When consumers get more than what they expect, they get delighted. That’s what customer delight is. It remains to be seen how soon that happens.

Will today’s compelling trend, trajectory and statistics of hyperlocal ecommerce be the harbinger of what is to arrive tomorrow? We will have to wait and watch for that time which doesn’t appear to be too far away from us. Yes! Hyperlocal ecommerce is approaching us a bit, the modern consumers, every day.