One of the defining events of 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant global lockdown. This will probably have implications that will last well into the decade. The situation is rapidly changing and today, people are able to move out and office workers are definitely facing challenges working remotely. People are slowly coming to terms with the realities of our interconnected world and we are living in unprecedented times might be an understatement. This isolation and uncertainty has influenced how people shop and make buying decisions. From bulk buying to online shopping people are changing what they are buying, when and how. Brands are having to adapt and be flexible to meet changing needs.

Panic buying and coronavirus

As a response to the lockdown people began stocking up. Stores both brick and mortar and online were struggling to keep up with the demand. The lockdown reduced the access to the stores and people began to look for online means of ordering essentials.

Preparedness

For local stores and departmental stores, the lockdown was something that many weren’t prepared for. People buying off the shelves were now expecting an online place to order groceries, school supplies and other essential items. Well, stores eventually caught up and were looking for quick solutions to get online and serve their customers – while following all the mandates of the locked down world.

Lokaly

Mobile apps like Lokaly ensured that stores and local businesses got a platform to quickly put them out there – online. They could simply register and begin selling. Building an online presence was never so easy. Customers too got easy access to their favourite stores and could place their orders and get items delivered to their doorstep.

Unprecedented times brought about unprecedented solutions and even those businesses who never dreamed of being online were now ‘completely’ or partially online. Well, it probably worked out for the best. What the near future holds no one knows, but technology and mobile solutions are definitely the key to a successful future..

When it comes down to being quick and effective, there’s nothing that beats mobile. So, even for departmental stores and local stores, going online and moving from a physically present to a virtually available store is one of the easiest way to get quick sales.

Lokaly works in multiple ways. It offers an opportunity to create an online marketplace and manage transactions conveniently. How you manage your business on Lokaly is up to you. For customers, it’s an easy entry into your store and pick the products of their choice and checkout instantly. It’s all in all a great recipe to drive sales in three days!

Here are 7 fast and easy and effective ways to get your first sales using Lokaly in 3 days:

    1. Lokaly connects local businesses to customers who can quickly and easily place orders from their stores.
    2. Businesses can open a Khata for customers whom they wish to extend credit. The credit limit can be set for a particular time as well as amount.
    3. Store owners can quickly upload products or choose to import items from a master list.
    4. All transactions can be easily tracked by the store and the customer.
    5. Customers can open their apps and place orders from a particular departmental store.
    6. The store owner has the ability to accept or reject the orders based on store policy.
    7. Lokaly items are featured to thousands of customers in your city.

Lokaly is a gateway between you and your customers. It’s the one missing piece that puts together all the essentials that you need to grow your store and improve sales in a short period of time. It reduces both time and efforts to get customers through your door and to offer them the shopping experiences they will remember.

It seems overwhelming – to take an entire store online. But, that’s just it. It’s not as overwhelming as it seems. The cost is one of the major factors that make mobile and web stores seem out of reach for small businesses and local departmental stores. This is exactly where Lokaly can help. Lokaly empowers sellers to derive maximum benefits from the Digital movement. Local departmental stores can easily go online within a few clicks and set up their mobile presence. This takes their products right into the hands of customers.

The good part is, the pricing is seller friendly. If you wish to take your store online with Lokaly, there are a number of ways to make this possible. Firstly, choose what kind of store you would like to set up. Here’s what Lokaly has to offer to make your transition online less daunting in terms of the price you pay for the technology and software.

Lokaly is a ready to use mobile store where departmental stores can easily create their stores and serve their local customers. Here are the pricing models For B2C:

  • No Set-Up Cost
  • No Commission on Orders
  • No Transaction Fee
  • No Restriction on Features
  • No Minimum Commitment
  • No Infrastructure Cost
  • No Maintenance Cost
  • Unlimited Products
  • Unlimited Customers
  • Unlimited Staff Users

Lokaly is a complete package for those who wish to start quick and sell fast. It is based on a subscription model and allows users to pay as they use. It has customizable features and can be made to look unique for every store that is created.

In times of crisis – when the whole world is ‘at home’ and there is a tinge of fear to venture out into the streets, departmental stores took the initial hit. Lokaly is one way to take your products to your customers – especially since they cannot come to you!

Just about anyone can put together an online store – but, how do you entice your customers and urge them to buy NOW and place repeat purchases? Here are a few pointers:

Flash sales: Flash sales are short, time bound sales often combined with a limited product stock which creates urgency in the minds of customers to buy now rather than later.

Free samples or low-priced products: You can ship your products directly to customers. Once they get used to the quality you offer, they will definitely be enticed to buy more.

Automated re-sales for replenishment: Selling products that are definitely require replenishment is an opportunity to automate and schedule remarketing campaigns to re-engage customers and encourage them to refill.

Multi-purchase deals: In this method, you can offer customers a deal if they purchase multiple products.

Exclusive or complementary cross-sells: Strategically position a product alongside the product a customer has in their shopping cart to improve or partner with it.

Bundle best-sellers with high margin products: You can take a small cluster of products, bundle them and offer them at a collective price which is cheaper than if a customer was to purchase each of them individually.

Limited time coupons or discounts: Urgency is a powerful psychological marketing tactic. Limited time coupons or discounts are very effective in creating this urgency.

Cross-platform selling: Along with your website, you can sell your products on social media, eBay, Amazon etc.

Live chat engagement: Live chat gives customers a feeling of immediate action. It definitely helps boost sales.

Get personal with recommendations: Personalized recommendations add to customer experiences and hence boost sales.

Run an influencer campaign: Consumers want to hear from people they idolize. It builds trust in the brand and products – hence boosts sales.

The sheer size of the opportunity is unlimited – you can imagine and execute innovative deals and discounts to keep your customers engaged and coming back for repeat purchases!

Lokaly offers a variety of discounts, deals, and coupons to attract your customers. Check-out how Lokaly can be useful for your business at https://www.lokaly.in/

Lokaly launched its White-label Solution for the Marketplace, B2B and B2C models, in India and the rest of the world. Lokaly white-label solution is currently successfully operating at many businesses in India. Lokaly is a digital platform that gives you access to a wider Customer base. You can create your online marketplace or the B2B or B2C business using your own branding and features needed for the business. Meanwhile, Lokaly Marketplace in India has seen 400% growth in Seller registrations during the lockdown – past 2 months and sees further growth in times to come.