Covid-19 has had a massive impact on all our lives around the world, for a lot of business it has completely changed the way they operate. With a decrease in footfall due to ongoing government restrictions and lockdowns, having an online store may be the only way forward for some businesses.

In response to the global pandemic, the Irish government has offered numerous grants to develop and grow the online presence of Irish retailers. Managed by the local enterprises’ boards, grants are being offered for up to €2500 to develop an online presence. Traditional shopping has changed for many, although brick and mortar stores will still exist, e-commerce sites are now the way forward for most businesses in Ireland.

The growth of E-commerce

With more and more businesses in Ireland moving online, has Covid-19 created opportunities for e-commerce growth in Ireland?

E-commerce in Ireland is growing with platforms like Shopify who make building and running a website quite simple for most companies. Setting up a Shopify store is simple and more and more business are setting up stores every day. Shopify allows the owner to make back end changes at ease while having limited knowledge in websites and Shopify.

Take a simple bakery business for example, primarily used to rely on customers coming into the store to buy their goods. By using a website platform like Shopify it allows bricks and mortar stores like this to offer all their products to potential customers with the click of a button. With delivery services in Ireland such as DPD and Fastway, you could have the customer’s placing order using your e-commerce website with delivery the next day. By having an online retail outlet, you are also giving yourself the opportunity for growth. Your business can now offer your range of products to a much larger customer base in the whole of Ireland which might grow your consumer base and sales in the long run.

online shopping

Adapting to a new reality as a retailer- the surge in online shops

With Covid-19 restrictions, people cannot travel to shops like before. If your bricks and mortar store has been affected by Covid-19 you may have had to close and setting up and e-commerce website may be the only hope you have to survive. In saying this, it may also give you the opportunity to grow an e-commerce store bigger than your bricks and mortar shop has ever been!

Getting everything in order for your new online presence might seem like a daunting task with many things to consider like keeping your customers safe when they are shopping online. Thankfully, there are a lot of services available online to support your security needs. Whether you are just starting your business or you have already grown your presence in the online retail market, LumiPay can assist you in setting up safe and secure payment processing for your website. This includes helping you to choose the best merchant account for your online business to receive your customers payments in a secure way.

Transitioning your business online is now more important than ever. Irish retailers are making the shift online to provide a secure and convenient shopping experience and we don’t expect this trend to change anytime soon!