1、NOWNEXTCovid-19:WhattoDoNow,WhattoDoNext Channel Shift: Prioritizing Digital Commerce Navigating the human and business impact ofCOVID-19 March2020 Wereallin this together 2 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. COVID-19 has turned into a global crisis, evolving

2、 atunprecedented speedandscale.Itiscreatinga universal imperative for governments and organizations to take immediate action to protect theirpeople. Self-quarantine. Social distancing. Community spread. AsthegrowingCOVID-19globalpandemicmakesthese formerly obscure terms everyday words, the impact on

3、 customers is profound and the impact on the economy unknown. Thechangestocommercewepresentandexplain setinmotionbythecrisisbutsuretooutliveit representthestartofsomethingnew. Digital Commerce Now Commerceonline and offline has been upended. Both Direct-to-Consumer and B2B organizations are scrambli

4、ng to meet immediate and emergency needs. In particular, those who have viewed digital commerce as a secondary channel now need to reorient every aspect of their business towards a digital commerce mindset. There exists an opportunity to double-down on digital commerce, expanding existing offerings

5、and creating new lines of service. 3 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Forcustomers,themostimmediateimpactisfear,notjustfor theirpersonalhealthbutalsofortheeconomicimpact Source:Covid-19 Consumer Pulse Research, 2020. Health Concerns 64%81% Of consumers are

6、fearful for their health.1 Of consumers are fearful for the health of others.1 4 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Economic Concerns 88% Of consumers are worried about the impact on the economy. 1 More than ever, commerce experiencesneedtodemonstrate custome

7、r value across: TRUST Quickly establishing trust with new customers and extending the brand affinity that has been earned with existing customers will be critical in these uncertain times. Even one miss on product availability, pricing or shipping dates could break that bond of trust with your custo

8、mer that will persist into the post quarantine economy. CONVENIENCE Surrounding the commerce experience is becoming critical to customer decision-making. Households are in many cases trying new, innovative services for the first time. Drop-off and pickup services, fresh produce purchasing, and farm-

9、to-table assortments, for example, will become standard commerce expectations into the future. RELEVANCE becomes particularly critical during times of volatility: Personalizing how you engage with customers will pay dividends into the future. For example, the effects of deeply understanding your cus

10、tomers historical preferences, physical limitations (ie: rural vs. urban) and being able to assist with suitable replacement items or replenishment options will be magnified during this period of scarcity and uncertainty. 5 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved.

11、New habits and behaviors are forming that in many cases arenotlikelytogo awayafter the crisispasses “Short-term investments will yield long-term returns; this crisis is the jumpstart of a new waveof commerceinnovation.” JohnZealley Senior ManagingDirector, AccentureInteractive 6 COVID-19 - DIGITAL C

12、OMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. We need to act Now toprepare for theNext 7 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. QuestionsweneedtobeaskingNow How do I REASSURE my customers and employees during this uncertain time? The answers to theseand

13、 the individual pathways to execute solutionswill vary from business to business, based on geography, industry, size and progress on the road to full digital commerce transformation, among other factors. How do I STABILIZE digital operations with frictionless transactions and the capacity to handle

14、increased demand? How do I RECONFIGURE my products, services, and markets and establish new partnerships and ecosystems to retain new and existing customers? 8 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Reassure your Customers and Employees There is unprecedented con

15、fusion on what, where and how to buy things and with many causes for lack of trust, from price-gouging to misinformation to complete inability to find essentials people are gravitating towards companies and brands that are truthful, transparent and, most importantly, driven by a clear purpose. These

16、 principles extend both through the consumer channels and how they engage with retailers, as well as into Business-to-Business relationships and how companies work with their distributors, wholesalers, or manufacturing direct suppliers. Weve seen many situations where businesses and others have rise

17、n to the occasion so far. 9 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Whats GoingOn With things changing daily, frequently updated communications are critical for customers and employees alike. And businesses are ensuring they bring a consistent message across all c

18、hannels and touchpoints. Some are also opening up new channels of communication and preparing to welcome whole new audiences. Miss Fresh, an online retailer in China, claims it has experienced a 237% increase in users aged 40 and older since the outbreak began. 1 New consumers digitally engaging wit

19、h your brand will bring about a different set of expectations and new opportunities to build trust and relevance For example, advanced search capabilities with features like dynamic assortment creation allow users to define their own product experience. Listening and tracking items of scarcity and p

20、roviding suitable replacement options or accurate replenishment timeframes, or pulling from alternate inventories and providing drop-ship services, can deliver a differentiated level of customer service and convenience. Beyond unpredictable sales through unpredictable channels, direct-to- consumer c

21、ompanies must contend with other unknowns, like new buyers in a household With a lack of historical data to guide decisions, what to do next can be unclear. Brands are listening harder and tapping into social and customer data to understand emerging needs and using this as a catalyst to deepen relev

22、ance and personalize their commerce operations. Grocery stores across the world are shifting the way they work to accommodate the needs of customers. Tescos are now opening stores for an hour earlier on Sundays for NHS staff only, after a video of an exhausted nurse crying that she couldnt get produ

23、ce to stay healthy went viral. 2 And Woolworths in Australia has a seniors-only shopping hour. 3 Spotlight:B2B In B2B, with the unpredictability in the product supply chain and distribution channels, manufacturers are looking to expand their strategy to move closer to end consumers Solely relying on

24、 indirect channels to meet customer needs is no longer sufficient. As with retailers, the distribution and wholesale channels will likely also struggle to manage inventory levels and promise dates. Increasing drop-ship and inventory on demand capabilities will allow all companies to take direct cont

25、rol of the relationship, taking advantage of new distribution models that are quickly arising. Adidas in China, for example, plans to clear excess inventory using its own channels for the rest of 2020; these moves will have implications for their distribution networks around the world.3 10 COVID-19

26、- DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Many organizations have offered crisis-related accommodations to their customers that show true empathy about the hardships faced by so many. This can be seen at banks in Europe such as the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, which ar

27、e stepping in to support those affect by COVID-19 by postponing mortgage payments and offering financing for small businesses. 1 And grocery stores around the world are establishing special hours for vulnerable shoppers, from Iceland and Sainsburys in the UK to HEB in the US and Mexico; In Spain, Ca

28、rrefour is prioritizing deliveries for seniors. 2 And companies are also looking at how they can help broader communities Scholastic, for example, the childrens education publisher, is now providing free online learning tools for kids in response to widespread school closures. 3 French luxury goods

29、conglomerate LVMH switched over its factories from making Christian Dior perfume to hand sanitizer almost overnight. 4 PurposeFirst Some companies are straying outside of their core businessmodelsandrepurposingtheir assetstoassist thegreaterhumancause. American Airlines, for example, is redeploying

30、empty passenger planes as freight carriers to get medical suppliesandothertimecriticalproducts tootherpartsof the world.5 Formula 1 is refocusing their engineering capabilitiestomakeventilators6,andABinbevis using waste alcohol to make hand sanitizers. 7 In the vein of “purpose first” thinking, busi

31、nesses that find themselves with excess capacity can think through how to act as distributorsofproductsinto newchannels. 11 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Reassess your employee and customer policies in line with your brand purpose and values Define your

32、role on how you can help people in this time of crisis. This could be as simple as re-thinking your corporate policies to make them more relevant in todays world. Suspending refund exchange windows, for example, when customers are having a harder time keeping up with daily life. Perhaps allow invent

33、ory priority to the vulnerable or locations more directly impacted by COVID-19. How to respond Rally leaders around consistent communication Establish strong communication governance, guiding principles and tone. Leaders throughout the organization need to be in sync. Create the feedback loop so you

34、 can pivot and progress with pace. Identify opportunities to provide special assistance to key communities Every channel, touchpoint and piece of content matters. Brands need to do an experience audit to make sure that they are sending a consistent and reassuring message, building on customer confid

35、ence and deepening trust. For example, parents with infants will have different questions and concerns than those with high-schoolers or grandparents who are empty-nesters. Be helpful and let them know the precautions that you have undertaken to protect peoples safety and be sure to rework your serv

36、ice content to ensure it continues to be relevant. An example of a company learning from previous epidemics is Alibaba, which launched a special senior-friendly version of its Taobao shopping app in 2018 with large print and a function that allows children to pay for their parents shopping. 1 Initia

37、te an audit of your commerce experience to ensure it properly represents your brand Realizing that commerce has become your primary channel in which to do business, you must ensure that the commerce experience is more than a transaction engine for goods and services: It needs to appropriately repres

38、ent your brand position and what you stand for as a business. Establish a Responsive listening and Center Businesses that are keeping up with their customers are scaling rapid response capabilities properly, by asking the right questions, analyzing the data, and then meeting customers where they are

39、 by acting on real- time predictive insights. And by putting this listening infrastructure in place now, businesses will be able to adapt practices over time, making them more relevant and connected to their customers on an ongoing basis. NOWNEXT 12 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accen

40、ture All rights reserved. Stabilizeyourdigitalchannels, platforms andinfrastructure Imagine the accelerated demand of Cyber Monday, every day for the foreseeable future. The latest figures from the USDAs Economic Research Service found that in 2018, food purchased away from home in the US accounted

41、for 54% of total food expenditure.1 With the closure of cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels and the grounding of airlines, much of this demand will need to be met by the grocery sector, online. Thats the new reality as mass quarantines and unpredictable retail stock availability cause online commerc

42、e to skyrocket. While this represents an opportunity to grow revenue, attract new customers and drive channel shift, it depends on digital channels and capabilities having appropriate scale and stability to handle the crush. Businesses must flex quickly to capture the opportunity, and systems must b

43、e prepared to withstand the increased loads. 13 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Demand is surging Chinese digital commerce giant Alibabas online supermarket Hema reports that orders were up 220% year-over-year during Chinese New Year, when the virus initia

44、lly spread.1 Businesses who have an established digital commerce presence are rapidly assessing if their platforms and infrastructure can support these huge surges in demand They are leveraging advanced monitoring tools, attempting to anticipate unplanned loads and smooth out system responses. Surge

45、s have put a spotlight on automation and intelligence capabilities in their retail supply chain, or product supply chain for B2B companies Volatile spikes and unpredictable demands, without the ability to rapidly adapt and adjust the supply side, are driving longer lead times, product outages, and i

46、nability to provide accuracy for promise or availability dates. Direct-to-customer toilet paper brand “Who Gives a Crap” recently sold out across the UK, US, and in Australia after sales jumped 1000%. 2 Unfortunately, it often takes unforeseen events like the COVID-19 pandemic to serve as a catalyst

47、 to revisit legacy technology investments and commerce business processes. DigitalCommerce Yet for many, especially B2B companies, digital commerce has not been a primary driver of business. And they are realizing that their digital channels and platforms are not equipped for this huge surge in dema

48、nd. They need to establish the fastest route to building out a scalable digital commerce presence. 14 COVID-19 - DIGITAL COMMERCE | Copyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Whats GoingOn Stabilizeyourdigitalchannels,platformsandinfrastructure Establish a Virtual Control hub Supported by rapidly

49、 putting together a cross-functional team to tackle critical business issues and monitor KPIs, clear ownership of responsibilities established and members empowered to drive the response end to end. This virtual war room will not only allow you to more aggressively handle the current chaos in the digital commerce marketplace, but it will lay the foundation for a “Commerce Control Tower”. How to respond Test your platforms and infrastructure resilience Op