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The beckoning of the pandemic, and the reckoning of hyperlocal ecommerce- With the former’s impact getting over, latter’s is standing tall

Hyperlocal ecommerce businesses have had significant gains from the pandemic

By Dr. Shamael Zaheer KhanPublished about a year ago 6 min read
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Businesses, both physical and online ones, have used the pandemic as a platform to go hyperlocal

“When the outbreak of the covid19 pandemic struck us all, it signaled tough times for the ecommerce industry and appeared inviting businesses to think, reinvent, replan and adapt. Wishful business who wanted to serve the affected market, took a good account of that and chose to go hyperlocal.”

Introduction

The sudden outbreak of the pandemic was a sad tale of people dying, getting quarantined, businesses nosediving, sales getting squeezed, profits shrinking, market shares dwindling, economies plummeting and the consumers bearing the brunt of the pandemic in more ways than one. The pandemic brought several economies to a standstill and the global consumers, left devastated and hopeless, were forced to stay in the confines of their homes. With this happening, the consumers had to sit back, browse through apps on their smartphones, and wait for the home essentials to reach them.

This was the beginning of hyperlocal ecommerce in some parts of the world and in some regions this became a reincarnation of traditional ecommerce. Yes! The onset of the pandemic made way for ecommerce to get rejuvenated, reinvented and redefined. At the helm of all this happening, were robust and efficient hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software partners that were enabling businesses to serve the customers better and quick. The pandemic in its capacity, as a matter of fact, put a lot of trials in every economy’s kitty. While some businesses suffered a serious jolt not to be revived again, others made the pandemic look like a blessing in disguise.

The hyperlocal scenario during the pandemic

The pandemic brought with it a slew of challenges that impacted literally everyone. Ecommerce businesses took a major hit and logistics industries had to slow their roll. With stores shut and businesses themselves running amok, customers all across the world were left without any purchase options. Stores were only able to operate when hyperlocal delivery services were once again made available.

Amidst such a challenging period with the supply chain of some major ecommerce brands facing severe disruptions and bottlenecks and with negativity prevailing everywhere, there were businesses who were positive and upbeat about what they had to offer to the customers. They worked their way up into the supply chain management, distribution, and logistics and made businesses achieve tremendous efficiencies while waiting for the restrictions to be uplifted. Later on, hyperlocal businesses became the best survival medium for businesses and a source of strength for the customers.

While some businesses innovated convenient delivery solutions by expediting technology, others had to partner with some robust and efficient hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software companies that were just bang for the buck. Bestowed with the ability to exploit technology in their favor as impeccably as possible, the hyperlocal ecommerce delivery businesses rode high on the wave of pandemic.

Had it not been for the immaculate capabilities of hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software companies and their subsequent success, the world would have faced much more challenging times in finding and procuring the basic necessity items and home essential goods and services. Such companies, through a robust platform, provided ample opportunities to customers worldwide to choose products and services, even when remaining indoor. In fact, the use of such apps by customers offering them brilliant delivery solutions was one of the most satisfying things during the pandemic.

The presence of these quick and easy services enabled customers to get groceries, pharmaceuticals and other essentials with ease and without taking unnecessary risks during the period when pandemic wreaked havoc. Initially, investments dropped drastically, from a little under $2 billion in 2019 to $500 million in 2020. This required hyperlocal delivery startups to change their strategies, employ more innovative delivery solutions and make use of automated logistics services.

The hyperlocal scenario after the pandemic

Coming out of the post pandemic scenario, the platform- i.e., hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps, was laid and the stage- i.e., hyperlocal ecommerce, was set for businesses to perform. A major portion of success of hyperlocal ecommerce in the post pandemic period must be attributed to the technological development that took place, innovations that fed into quick deliveries through ecommerce, and subsequent intertwining of hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps into the modern-day business model.

Hyperlocal delivery in the post covid era did give local merchants and retailers a fresh lease of life- one that they couldn’t have imagined during the crisis times of the pandemic when conditions turned hostile and every one was going berserk, with wavering chances of survival. But as they say there is hope in every situation, so was it in the pandemic- hyperlocal ecommerce businesses, with their dedicated delivery processes and route optimization techniques, came up with phenomenal delivery solutions for the customers.

In fact, several companies realized the window of opportunity that the pandemic offered to them and hence they seized it and pivoted towards increased digitalization and automation. This adaptation of a digitized hyperlocal model in our daily lives has now become the need of the hour. The adaptation of hyperlocal set-ups ranges across sectors which include pharmaceuticals, food, home essentials, and groceries to name a few.

Some of the leading hyperlocal start-ups within the space have pioneered instant deliveries owing to robust backend tech support and immaculate hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software and apps’ capabilities, and the pandemic has only led to a major revolution in the hyperlocal tech space unlike ever before.

As the ecommerce space evolves, technologies dominate, futuristic businesses take charge, and faster deliveries become the norm, hyperlocal ecommerce is bound to become increasingly popular among the consumers. It would not be wrong to say that the situation the pandemic led us into, is now leading businesses towards the sort of growth and prosperity that they ever wanted- steady as a rock and unfathomably enormous.

What does the future hold for hyperlocal ecommerce?

The future in a post-crisis world appears to be bright for hyperlocal businesses. The stage has been set (availability of impeccable hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software partners and intuitive mobile apps promising instant delivery) and the platform has been built (demands for hyperlocal deliveries are readily created and logistical efficiencies considered taken care of) for hyperlocal ecommerce to move up the ladder steadily.

With the feature of auto scalability finely incorporated in today’s hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software, onboard businesses are likely to scale in quick time- from being ‘novices’ in the hyperlocal industry to becoming the ‘favorites’ and ‘leaders’ of that space.

Adopting blockchain technology and adding cryptocurrencies as yet another payment mode to smoothen the transaction and enhance overall customer experience, can achieve unexpected results for the hyperlocal businesses.

Incorporation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, drone deliveries ad robotics is yet another area promising something huge for the hyperlocal space. Such advancements show us limitless possibilities for what we today know as hyperlocal ecommerce.

Moreover, having been luckily through with the tough and daunting times of the pandemic, increasing number of individuals and businesses have started to understand the value of hyperlocal ecommerce and have commenced putting a lot of faith in hyperlocal establishments. Not just this, several entrepreneurs are believed to have invested a substantial amount of money to start a hyperlocal ecommerce store of their own.

Wrapping up

All these expectations appendaged to technology appear like a good luck charm for the hyperlocal ecommerce space. With ample technological progress and digitalization expectedly up for grabs by hyperlocal businesses, they are sure to sumptuously feed into the needs of the ravenous customers and capitalize on the circumstances that the pandemic created- that of leaving customers alone and isolated in the confines of their home and with a lot of smartphone-enabled apps promising convenient hyperlocal deliveries.

Having taken note of it, futuristic businesses have just wonderfully hopped onto the hyperlocal bandwagon by partnering with the best-in-class hyperlocal ecommerce delivery software companies and have been gaining overwhelming popularity, lately.

It appears in what started as a pandemic and behaved devilish for businesses around three years ago, was actually a platform that aspiring hyperlocal ecommerce businesses took a good account of and started to build upon.

The pandemic, now having been almost over, has led hyperlocal deliveries to stand mighty and tall, and hyperlocal ecommerce, as it stands today- extremely speedy and refined in form, is indeed a palpable outcome of such crisis times.

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About the Creator

Dr. Shamael Zaheer Khan

Dr. S.Z. Khan is a revered academic. He brings a unique blend of theory and practice to his position as Vice President (Marketing & Strategy) at a leading SaaS firm. He is also an expert contributor to several platforms of repute.

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