.IE Tipping Point Report 2020

Key findings The .IE Tipping Point survey assessed the attitudes and responses to the Covid-19 crisis of 1,000 Irish consumers and 500 retail and customer-facing professional services SMEs. We looked at three distinct phases: before the crisis, during it, and intended behaviour after the crisis is controlled. Here are some key data points that we believe will help business groups and government decision-makers understand how digitalisation can reignite Ireland’s economy: 1 72% of consumers have either spent more online during the Covid-19 crisis or the same amount as before. 95% of all consumers shop online at least some of the time. Generally speaking, Covid-19 has done little to dampen this demand. 2 53% of consumers’ online spend since the Covid-19 crisis has been with Irish SMEs. International retailers have historically dominated Irish e-commerce. 3 67% of consumers who have done most of their online shopping with Irish businesses say they have done so out of a sense of solidarity. This may indicate that Irish SMEs are currently riding a temporary wave of national goodwill. 4 48% of consumers would still do most of their shopping in physical stores if Covid-19 were under control and social distancing were not required. The other half would either shop in-store only for necessities; or shop mostly online. This underscores the need for SMEs to provide an omni-channel experience. 7 46% of SMEs that have invested in online services during the Covid-19 crisis are busier than or as busy as before. Investing in online creates more ways to generate revenue and connect with customers. 8 53% of SMEs believe that consumers will buy in-store and online after the Covid-19 crisis. SMEs’ opinions are aligned with consumer sentiment. There is an understanding of omni-channel among SMEs, but just a quarter of them sell online. 6 79% of SMEs with websites have invested nothing in their online services during the Covid-19 crisis. 63% of those who did invest said it was easy but they required some form of outside help. 5 Just 25% of SMEs sell online. This is despite the huge amount of money being spent online by Irish consumers before and during the Covid-19 crisis. 2