In 2020, with uncertain times taking the world by a storm, many businesses have fallen victim to the pandemic and its devastating impact.
During Singapore’s circuit breaker, individuals and businesses alike, were constrained from many day-to-day activities in an attempt to curb the virus; but in an unanticipated turn of events, many businesses have remained pandemic-proof and have conversely, managed to thrive in these times.
One of these businesses is Flower Chimp – an online gifting retailer operating across Southeast Asia, delivering flowers bouquets, gift hampers, and more in Singapore since 2018.
What Flower Chimp may have not anticipated is that the pandemic’s “new normal” barriers would prove to be an opportunity for many to rekindle their relationships with their loved ones — despite distance.
Within Singapore alone, the business saw a growth of 150% in sales within just 2 months, as people turned to sending flowers around the country, and even from outside as a memento of love to those far away from them. “We expected revenue to decline to pre-COVID-19 times after circuit breaker restrictions were lifted, however sales remained strong” says a spokesperson of the company.
“However, customer behaviour appears to have changed sustainable, as many first-time customers of the circuit breaker period continue to shop for gifts online“.
Flower Chimp is just one example of a pandemic-proof business. Many other businesses in the e-commerce arena have witnessed similar traction, as people, for example, improve their living spaces shopping for furniture online or seek to buy yoga mats for their new home exercise routine.