Hawke Media Special Report: September 23, 2020

October 12, 2020

If it seems like you’re starting to see more and more people with dogs everywhere you look, you’re not wrong. It seems that the isolation brought on by the pandemic has led to a flurry of furry companions finding homes.

Shelters, breeders, and pet stores are all strained for inventory. Some even reporting having no dogs available for adoption.

“Some New York City shelters are seeing application numbers at 10 times the normal rate. One Pennsylvania shelter saw its foster application numbers rise from three-to-five per week to 40 per day.” – Emma Grey Ellis for WIRED

Interestingly, dog diaper sales have skyrocketed to $24 million (a 202% increase YoY) in the approximately 6-month period leading up to August 15th. A correlation that shows either dogs are having more accidents or more people have taken on the responsiblity of a canine companion.

Consumer Trends

BFCM

Source: BlackFriday.com

Shoppers are planning to take make Cyber Monday their primary holiday shopping day during the Black Friday weekend.

Convenience Is Key

Source: National Retail Federation

Fall/Winter 2020 will see convenience become a major factor in where and how consumers shop.

Prepare for a frictionless shopping experience as the overwhelming majority of shoppers have backed out of a sale citing convenience as the primary issue.

Don’t Expect Loyalty

Source: McKinsey

The pandemic has driven shoppers to explore new options outside of their brand loyalties.

Three quarters of US shoppers have tried wither a new brand, store, or website.

Prioritize Digital

Source: Salesforce

Online shoppers show strong purchase intent through Q2 2020 with a 35% increase YoY from 2.2% to 3% globally.

Business Trends

eCommerce Growth

Source: McKinsey

The eCommerce industry has seen an unprecedented level of market penetration in the months since the pandemic started, equating to 10 years of regular growth.

Holiday Hustle 2020

Source: Paypal

The 2020 holiday season is make or break for a lot of retailers as 1 in 5 say they are dependent on sales, of which many expect to underperform compared to last year.