How big is the impact of e-commerce on rural brick-and-mortar stores? Heavy snow hits, and reality reveals everything
Heavy snowfall has led to disruptions to traffic in mountainous areas and an increase in online shopping.
In the past few days, heavy snowfall has fallen in the Dabie Mountains, which has not only brought many difficulties to the people in the mountainous areas, but also had a certain impact on rural physical stores. Due to the disruption of transportation, people in mountainous areas cannot use cars, motorcycles, battery cars and other means of transportation, so they can only walk to their destinations. In this case, I went to the town with an old villager to pick up the letter, only to be surprised to find that the post office was full of all kinds of packages waiting to be picked up. The packages were sent by rural people after shopping online. In the past, people in the mountainous areas were not very fond of online shopping, but now every household is used to online shopping and likes to buy things online. Even in this small mountain town with a registered population of about 20,000, less than a tenth of the people actually live in their hometown, but this has provided tremendous support for the development of the post office. Every day, a large number of highlanders buy goods through online shopping. What made them choose to shop online? Cheapness is one of the important factors. For example, my fellow and I received a courier package today, and the ginger he bought was sent from Guangxi, which was only more than 3 yuan a catty, while the vegetable market in our town now sells it for more than 8 yuan a catty. The same ginger is one-third cheaper when purchased online** than in physical stores. In addition to ginger, various fruits are also the favorites of the mountain people. In addition, clothing, footwear, household appliances, and even daily necessities such as napkins, toothpaste, and laundry detergent are also purchased online by many mountain people. Due to the heavy snowfall this time, many people did not have time to pick up the parcels, so we saw the scene of various parcels piling up. It can be seen that how much interest mountain people are in online shopping also shows how strong the impact of online shopping is on traditional stores.
Expansion: Traffic disruptions caused by heavy snowfall have caused great inconvenience to rural residents. Since the main means of transport used by mountain dwellers, including cars, motorcycles and battery cars, are not available, they have no choice but to walk. Under such difficult conditions, people in mountainous areas are more inclined to buy the goods they need through online shopping. Especially in the post office of the town, all kinds of packages to be collected are piled up, which fully shows the love and adaptation of the people in the mountainous areas to online shopping. At the same time, only about one-tenth of the actual population of the mountain city is inhabited, but they are loyal users of the post office, providing strong support for the prosperity of the post office business.
The reasons why the rural population is accustomed to online shopping and product selection.
1.Economy.
In the Dabie Mountains, one of the factors that rural residents are most concerned about when buying goods is **. For example, buying ginger online is a third cheaper than buying it in a physical store, which is a big attraction. Similar products** are relatively high in physical stores, and you can save a lot of money by buying the same product online. In addition, mountain residents also found that buying products such as fruits and household appliances online was also cheaper than buying them in physical stores. As a result, online shopping can make it easy for rural residents to enjoy affordable shopping for goods.
2. Convenient and fast.
For rural residents living in mountainous areas, online shopping is undoubtedly a very convenient and fast way to shop. Due to geographical constraints, there are relatively few brick-and-mortar stores in mountainous areas, and people have to spend more time and energy to go to the city to buy goods. With online shopping, people only need to choose their favorite items with their mobile phones or computers, and then the courier company will deliver them to their door. This convenient and fast way to shop saves a lot of time and energy for people in rural areas, making them more inclined to shop online.
3.There is a wide range of products.
On the e-commerce platform, there is a wide variety of goods and fast updates, which can meet the various purchasing needs of the rural population. In addition to daily necessities such as food and daily necessities, online shopping also includes durable goods such as clothing, footwear and household appliances, which are frequently purchased by rural populations. Rural populations can easily access the latest products and brands in the market through online shopping platforms. This diversity makes the rural population more willing to choose online shopping, and to a certain extent, satisfies their demand for a variety of personalized goods.
4. Reliable quality.
Unlike in the past, today's e-commerce platforms have tighter controls over the quality of their products. While it is not possible to inspect the product in person while shopping online, consumers can get an idea of the real situation of the product by consulting other users for their opinions and sharing. They can refer to the feedback of other consumers and choose products with reliable quality. In addition, the e-commerce platform also provides after-sales service to solve various problems and disputes of consumers. This reliable quality and perfect after-sales service has gradually strengthened farmers' confidence in online shopping.
Expansion: The reasons why rural residents choose to shop online can be explained in several ways. First of all, ** is one of the important factors that influence their choice. In the Dabie Mountainous Area, the goods in physical stores are generally higher, while the similar goods on the Internet are much more discounted, which is also one of the important reasons why rural residents choose to shop online. Secondly, online shopping is very convenient and fast for rural people, they do not need to walk for a long time or take the first tool to go to the physical store to shop, only need to complete the purchase through the mobile phone or computer, and the goods will be delivered to the door by express delivery. What's more, e-commerce platforms have a wide range of products to meet the diverse shopping needs of the rural population. On e-commerce platforms, rural people can buy basic necessities such as food and daily necessities, as well as durable goods such as clothing, footwear, and household appliances. Finally, as e-commerce platforms become more and more strict in controlling product quality, the confidence of rural people in online shopping is also gradually increasing. They can get an idea of what the product is actually doing by looking at the opinions and shares of other users, so they can choose a product with reliable quality.
The impact of e-commerce on traditional rural stores.
The heavy snow made me aware of the impact of e-commerce on brick-and-mortar stores in rural areas. In the past, when I went shopping in the city, I would stop by the physical store to see what I needed. But today, the situation is completely different. In the process of going to the courier station to pick up the letter, I found that I had become accustomed to buying most of my goods online, and I became more and more dependent on online shopping. In fact, in real life, I rarely go to physical stores to buy non-fireworks products. Compared with physical stores, similar products online are not only cheaper, but also of good quality. This low price and convenience give rural residents more choices and possibilities. On this snowy winter day, I can't help but ask: why is it getting harder and harder to do business in brick-and-mortar stores?
Expansion: The impact of e-commerce on brick-and-mortar stores in rural areas cannot be ignored. With the development of e-commerce platforms, more and more rural people are accustomed to buying goods online, resulting in a decline in sales in physical stores. In the past, I used to go to physical stores to buy goods, but over time, I found that I could buy lower, better quality items through online shopping. Even on a snowy day, I can buy the products I need online, which is more convenient and easier to buy than in a physical store. At this time, some brick-and-mortar stores are still advertising for us to buy New Year's goods. However, in my case, I have purchased most of the products through online shopping, and only a small number of products such as fireworks and firecrackers will be purchased in physical stores. In fact, I think the decline of physical stores is not to blame on e-commerce, but the problem of physical stores themselves. Although the economic level of the rural population has improved, they still tend to buy goods that are lower. While there are some items in traditional stores, they still seem to be higher than online. The buying habits of rural people are difficult to change, and online shopping can save them some costs, so why not? Therefore, it is actually the traditional stores themselves that have not adapted to the needs and changes of the market, which has led to the impact of e-commerce on their business activities. In general, with the formation of online shopping habits of the rural population, the activities of traditional stores are becoming more and more difficult. While the rural population has sufficient economic power, they tend to buy products that are lower, and this is difficult to change. Online shopping is cheaper than brick-and-mortar stores, so brick-and-mortar stores must face up to this challenge and find new business models to adapt to market developments.
Overall, the heavy snowfall in the Dabie Mountains has disrupted transportation, and mountain residents have to travel on foot. This situation has led them to turn more to online shopping. **Cheap, convenient and fast, rich in commodity variety, and reliable in quality are the main reasons why rural residents choose to shop online. However, this has also taken a toll on traditional rural stores. With the increase in online shopping, it is becoming more and more difficult for brick-and-mortar stores to operate. As a result, traditional stores must find new business models to adapt to market changes in order to cope with competition from e-commerce.