The events of the past two years have accelerated omni-channel living and digital brand engagement, spreading deeply into markets no one expected. Surprising as it is that people buy furniture for their entire house online, they are also buying the house, sight unseen. They embrace subscriptions, enjoying buying without the shopping. Customers expect the physical and digital experiences to merge seamlessly, augmenting the in-store and online steps in their journeys.
“I think what we’re seeing now aren’t new trends, but rather trends that existed before the pandemic and are accelerating…The challenge is not identifying these trends… The real challenge is what you do about it: having the speed and agility to be one step ahead of the competition and to delight consumers,” Blas Maquiver, president of global emerging markets at Mars Wrigley, during an interview with McKinsey & Company