Anytime-anywhere convenience means British businesses will face further challenges

In Britain we live in a society with an ever growing ‘need it now’ culture.  

Companies are having to adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace as customers demand products and services to be delivered faster than ever before. 

These sentiments are echoed in a new report by promotional product retailer 4imprint, as research by the firm reveals that this shopping behaviour is causing an unprecedented shift in a way that companies are having to do business with modern day consumers. 

Marketers are adopting new sales and marketing strategies often having to change their approach on a daily-basis to keep up with demand and supply. Add to this the current economic climate in an era of risk and instability only creates further uncertainty and poses a tremendous challenge. 

You only need to look at some of the casualties on Britain’s high street within the last year alone. There’s a long list of bricks of mortar companies struggling to compete with more agile competition as online firms continue to grow and at a rapid pace.   

Advancements in technology has played a significant role as it propels us forward. You’d be forgiven for thinking that online shopping is a little bit like modern magic. All it takes is a few clicks and swipes on your mobile device and ‘hey presto!’ you can get what you want, when you want it. 

As more and more devices and apps deliver instant gratification, the more it sets a new standard for consumers and businesses. The launch of Apply Pay, a revolutionary product within itself, has made sales transactions more efficient and certainly influences purchasing decisions. 

Amazon has also set the bar high with its paid prime service offering next day delivery, while so called ‘fast-fashion houses’ can now design, manufacture and release new clothing collections in a matter of weeks as opposed to launching just one clothing range per season. Many companies in the UK have also added services to satisfy demand, for example, 4imprint.co.uk’s 1-day-express service for businesses with tight deadlines to meet. 

Its study also found a clear correlation between the shopping behaviour and people having to deliver ‘instant results’ at work, which is putting employees under massive pressure thus having a snowball effect on patience levels:

- 82% of office workers said they are now expected to deliver instant results at work

- A fifth say that they are adapting to new working systems faster than is humanly possible

- 18% of the nation’s employees claim their bosses and co-workers seem to want everything yesterday

- 29% will organise for deliveries to be resent instead of picking up parcels from the sorting office.

It’s fair to say that pace of modern life has certainly picked up. Modern technology has made it easier for people and companies to get things done more quickly. Understandably, people lead increasingly busy lives, but the stark reality is that technology and businesses will need to continue to evolve to dramatically shape the way that we shop.