COVID-19 causes surge in omni-channel pressure brands

A study released reveals the scale of omni-channel pressure brands now face as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, as consumers flock to apps and websites as the priority destination to transact with brands.

The UK and Ireland have experienced a huge leap in the use of online services thanks to COVID-19, with the public appearing to have less concern for the availability of a brand’s physical location.

COVID 19- Sungard AS commit research

Research by Sungard Availability Services (Sungard AS) uncovers a “window of availability” that businesses now have before consumer loyalty changes:

• If a brand’s website is down for 24 hours – 32 percent of consumers would switch providers.
• If a brand’s app is down for 24 hours – 28 percent of consumers would switch providers.
• If a physical store is closed for 24 hours – 20 percent of consumers would switch providers.

The results by industry paint an interesting picture of the availability timeframes brands are expected to adhere to in the post-COVID-19 business landscape.

For online retailers, excluding grocery retailers,23 percent of consumers would switch providers if they could not access online services for 12 hours, rising to over a third (34 percent) after 24 hours.

For financial services and entertainment streaming platforms, 21 percent of consumers would switch provider after 12 hours, rising to 33 percent after 24 hours

In the case of online grocery shopping – 20 percent would switch provider after 12 hours, rising to one third 33 percent after 24 hours

The findings also highlight that as digital reliance increases, so will consumer expectations towards availability in the future.

COVID-19- Financial services will always be available

Over the coming two years, a third (33 percent) of consumers expect online financial services to always be available, rising to 35 percent for streaming services.

“Lockdown has only served to heighten our reliance on the constant availability of online services,” comments Noel O’Grady, director of Irish operations at Sungard AS. “The restrictions placed on every aspect of our lives have resulted in us becoming heavily reliant on technology to cope.

Where consumers used to have a choice between physical and digital, they have flocked to digital environments now – whether that’s retail, entertainment, financial services – even healthcare to an extent, and some will stay.

Brands now need to ensure constant availability and clear communications on any downtime to build trust and loyalty under any circumstances successfully.”

About Sungard Availability Services

Sungard Availability Services (Sungard AS) is a leading provider of cloud-connected infrastructure solutions serving enterprise customers from 75 hardened data centers and workplace recovery facilities in nine countries.

Sungard AS has a 40-year track record of delivering resilient and highly available hybrid IT solutions. Backed by high-performance networks, Sungard AS modernizes customers’ end-to-end IT across connected infrastructure, cloud, recovery, and workplace solutions.

Working with customers to understand their business objectives, Sungard AS identifies gaps in customers’ current environments and tailors a solution to achieve their desired business outcomes.

For more information, visit Sungard AS at www.sungardas.com or call 1.888.537.6519. Connect with Sungard AS on its Blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

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