While 2020 and 2021 were certainly years of unknowns, one thing is certain: online shopping is here to stay. In 2021, over 46% of consumers reported feeling uncomfortable shopping in-person — and the share of online shoppers has only increased since then. As of this year, 41% of Americans shop online each week. 

Original publishing date: December 14, 2021

Republished date: November 12, 2024

Conventional thinking says brand-building is led by advertising, marketing, and visual presentation. But we know that consumers have a host of expectations that live beyond those characteristics. That means the days of leaving brand perception to your marketing department are over.

When you hear the word disrupt, you tend to think of a positive, innovative change. But when it comes to today’s supply chain in a post-pandemic world, disruption is a double-edged sword.

In a pre-pandemic world, QR codes were long forgotten. After nearly vanishing into obscurity, the QR code is back — and not just on restaurant tables. QR codes are making waves in the retail space, providing opportunities to learn about brands, find coupons, and make payments. 

In supply chain terms, sustainability is akin to ultimate resource management. Sustainability ensures balanced supply and demand for the long-term by avoiding the depletion of natural resources and maintaining ecological balance. 

If the global pandemic has taught businesses anything, it’s that supply chain resilience is critical to future-proofing brand and business operations. Global sourcing and manufacturing are increasingly critical to meeting evolving consumer demands and sustainability requirements. And at the epicenter of that evolution is nearshoring.

I’m going to cut to the chase: US retailers lose an estimated $121 billion per year from shoplifting. Between pilfering pre-teens and kleptomaniac employees, brands consistently lose out on significant sales due to theft.

It’s not news that the retail landscape is now driven by the digital-savvy who seemingly have limitless shopping and buying opportunities at their fingertips. The way they discover, find and receive products has been evolving at a rapid pace in the last decade. 

As consumer behaviors have changed, retailers are left to make the decision: will they change their processes and swim, or keep things as they are and face sinking in 2025 markets? Here are the three major consumer behavior shifts that have happened — and how brands can respond.