What is the current state of digital devices amid COVID-19?
According to a report by PYMNTS, the daily lives of consumers in 2020 greatly differ from that of the previous year.
Due to the advent of the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, employees working in traditional office positions that take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. are no longer required to commute on a daily basis. Additionally, individuals who used to opt for shopping on the weekends, as well as other activities that involve group gatherings, no longer occupy the majority of their time with such activities.
Instead, individuals are hunkering down at the comfort of their own homes for both work and leisure purposes. The latter of which includes socializing with friends and colleagues, shopping, as well as making digital payments all the while avoiding any direct contact with others.
According to the report, approximately 90% of the share of consumers also now own smartphone devices. This is a reflection of the broad shift in the different types of connected devices that are being used to conduct online transactions. The increasing reliance on smartphones is a result of being at home.
On the flipside, products such as electronic reading devices and activity trackers are now less prominent in their use. In fact, the research indicates that about 20% of consumers have eReaders in 2020, which is a decrease when compared to the 23% in the previous year.
With this decrease in devices that perform one function at a time, there is an increase in the popularity of connected devices. These do not only include smartphones that have multiple functions, but also voice assistants and laptops. Voice assistants, in particular, are owned by 33% of consumers. This is an increase from the 31% in 2019.
It should be noted that in terms of the traits related to device ownership, however, that is not changing. PYMNTS notes “superconnected” consumers are still owners of many connected devices. Smart television technology is one of the few exceptions to this, as they are more popular among bridge millennials, older millennials, and individuals who are on the younger end of Generation X.
As consumer habits continue to shift amid the pandemic, it is important for merchants to keep up with the times. By offering flexible and innovative payment solutions to consumers, businesses not only make the customer experience more streamlined, but also increase retention due to the ease and convenience of secure online transactions.
PayFrame is here to provide business owners with the best payment processing rates and solutions. For more information, contact a member of the PayFrame team at either 1-888-668-0733 or info[at]merchantbroker.com.
