The Covid-19 pandemic has presented companies with new challenges, entrepreneurs had to adapt to an unpredictable situation in a short space of time. This ability to adapt is also proving very useful in the path of internationalization after Covid, which is becoming increasingly digital and oriented towards the promotion of online purchases.

New Commercial Dynamics for Companies Entering Foreign Markets

The internationalization process until the end of 2019 was punctuated by very specific steps: analysis, strategy and implementation on the ground. After the pandemic, the scenario in which companies working in foreign markets operate has changed and, above all, consumer behavior has changed.

Users have become familiar with online shopping, which often represents a safer alternative to physical stores. Despite the respect of safety and hygiene regulations, the risk of contagion cannot be completely eliminated and the fear of contracting the virus conditions the purchasing habits of consumers.

Those who buy online have also discovered the incredible advantage of a much wider assortment than what can be found in stores. In every sector, from clothing to technology, from DIY to food, anything can be found online, as if the consumer had the opportunity to shop at a mall the size of the world.

A French user can easily buy from Italian, British and even U.S. e-commerce, because shipping costs are kept low and competitive. This global marketplace therefore becomes a resource for both the consumer and for companies selling online abroad.

The digital export that gets businesses going again after Covid

Before the pandemic, digitizing the enterprise was a necessity to stay competitive in one’s niche market. After Covid-19, new motivations were added to this strong motivation, such as the opportunity to respond to a new consumer need and at the same time increase turnover.

Digitization and internationalization therefore go hand in hand, because selling products and services across national borders can cut logistics costs and expand your customer base.

Having offices and showrooms abroad is no longer a compulsory step in the internationalization process, because thanks to an adequate technological equipment, transactions take place online, as well as meetings with foreign business partners.

Managers who support internationalization will continue to play their strategic role, but new digital skills are now required. Managers must be able not only to lead companies into foreign markets, but also to guide them through the digital export process.

New business opportunities abroad after the pandemic

There is no denying, then, that internationalization after the pandemic has been profoundly transformed. The new coronavirus has probably only accelerated a process of change that would otherwise have taken much longer.

Never before has business analysis taken on a decisive role, as has the ability to observe markets in order to intuit which direction they will take. The lockdown has put many companies in crisis, but it is thanks to the transformation that we can start again stronger than before. New needs and new business opportunities have emerged, making it necessary to rethink the choice of products and services to focus on.

While before Covid, 3D printers were used to create prototypes for the automotive industry, the new landscape suggests a change in direction. The same 3D printers can now produce respiratory valves, which are needed more than ever in intensive care units in hospitals around the world.

This is just one example of how you can adapt to changing global markets. Once again, it is the adaptability of businesses that can make a real difference.