Almost one-quarter of small business closed their doors during the pandemic, according to NBC news.com. However, the few who have survived have pivoted to online sales. Over the course of this holiday season small retailers have seen an average 110 percent increase in online sales, according to Adobe Analytics.



There is a lot of demand and a lot of opportunity for retailers of all sizes to support shopping demand online. This is pretty heartening to see.

In the past brick and mortar was a strength of small businesses, because they can offer a unique in-store experience. The pandemic has changed that.

Storefront businesses have been forced to closed due to public health measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. Social distancing and stay-at-home rules catapulted heavyweight like Walmart and Amazon, as customers have leaned on online shopping and grocery delivery more than ever before.

Walmart and Amazon reported a record growth, 23 percent of small businesses have reported having to close during the pandemic according to a July poll from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. More than 163,000 U.S. businesses on Yelp have had to close since March, according to a September report from the company.

What can small businesses do? Go online! The investment will pay off. eCommerce site like Etsy and Shopify, which allow small businesses to quickly set up e-commerce sites, said it saw a record of $2.4 billion in Black Friday sales globally, which amounts to a 75 percent growth in sales from last year, according to Edison Trends, a digital commerce research company.

After the pandemic e-commerce will still be here. Large companies such as Toys-R-Us, Payless shoes, Borders Books and Circuit City went out of business because they didn’t have a e-commerce platform. Don’t let your business be next! Contact Gateway digital media today to get started on your new website! http://gatewayseomarketing.com/