# New Uberall research shows global increase in online engagement with local businesses during Covid, UK leads with 42 percent growth
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-07-06
Category: Research Reports
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/research-reports
Meta Title: New Hybrid Consumer Journey Revealed
Meta Description: Discover how consumers are turning to a blend of online and in-store shopping, with a surge in digital interactions with local businesses during Covid times.
URL: https://financedigest.com/new-uberall-research-shows-global-increase-in-online-engagement-with-local-businesses-during-covid-uk-leads-with-42-percent-growthhtml

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_Analysis of nearly 80,000 business locations and their consumer online interactions reveals new hybrid customer journey_

Uberall, leading provider of ‘Near Me’ marketing solutions, today released the findings of its study on the online performance of nearly 80,000 mid-market business locations.

Although consumers turned towards ecommerce in unprecedented numbers during the pandemic, an analysis of these mid-market business locations – those with more than 26 business locations and an annual revenue of less than $500 million – and their consumer online engagement data has revealed that local businesses remain integral to today’s customer journey. It also showed that an [online and in-store hybrid is their preferred approach to shopping](https://www.financedigest.com/the-high-street-is-dead-long-live-online-shopping.html "The high street is dead – long live online shopping! ").

**[Online engagement with local businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/6-practical-tips-for-starting-an-online-business.html "6 Practical Tips for Starting an Online Business") grew in Covid times**

Although it’s logical to assume there would be a decline in consumer interest in [local stores](https://www.financedigest.com/kfc-franchisees-in-russia-ask-govt-to-halt-sale-of-stores-to-local-operator-ria.html "KFC franchisees in Russia ask govt to halt sale of stores to local operator – RIA") in 2020 due to lockdown and stay at home orders, consumers worldwide actually searched for mid-market business locations more often – an 8 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 – across sectors.

An analysis of consumer online activity also shows an 11 percent [growth in digital interactions with local businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/how-technology-can-support-insurance-business-growth.html "How technology can support insurance business growth"). These actions include [consumers clicking on links to store directions](https://www.financedigest.com/token-enables-bank-direct-payments-for-caxton-fx-consumer-and-business-customers.html "Token Enables Bank Direct Payments for Caxton FX Consumer and Business Customers"), telephone numbers or websites. If clicks for directions are excluded, the rise in online engagement jumps to 35 percent, as consumers sought [safer alternatives to find what they needed](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-global-climate-coalitions-need-safer-harbour-from-antitrust-turbulence.html "Analysis-Global climate coalitions need safer harbour from antitrust turbulence") during lockdown.

This overall increase could be due to essential stores remaining open throughout lockdown, as consumers searched [online for store](https://www.financedigest.com/whats-in-store-for-2016-leading-online-trading-services-provider-easy-forex-reveals-predictions-for-the-new-year.html "WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2016? LEADING ONLINE TRADING SERVICES PROVIDER EASY-FOREX REVEALS PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR") opening hours and offerings. This growth could also be attributed to a mixture of wanting to [support local businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-sunak-to-halve-support-that-helps-businesses-pay-fuel-bills-the-times.html "UK’s Sunak to halve support that helps businesses pay fuel bills -The Times") and seeking personal interaction. In either case, the result has been a blending of online and local commerce.

**Online engagement surged in the UK**

Across the globe, [online engagement with mid-market business](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-start-an-online-business-intermediate-tips-for-beginners.html "How to Start an Online Business – Intermediate Tips For Beginners") locations rose in 2020. In the UK, however, online interactions grew significantly, at a [rate far above the global](https://www.financedigest.com/rate-rise-fears-prompt-third-week-of-global-equity-funds-outflows.html "Rate rise fears prompt third week of global equity funds outflows") average – 42 percent growth overall from 2019 to 2020. Although the UK initially saw a steep [decline in online engagement](https://www.financedigest.com/employee-engagement-declining-across-the-globe.html "Employee Engagement Declining Across the Globe") in April 2020, just after the first lockdown, the number of online interactions skyrocketed 465 percent by July 2020 – close-in-time to the UK’s first re-opening. The rate of online engagement subsequently levelled out, but is still higher than pre-pandemic figures.

The UK is one of the top adopters of online commerce, with the largest online retail sector in Western Europe per the [Centre for Retail Research](https://www.retailresearch.org/online-retail.html). This familiarity with online commerce could explain why so many UK consumers turned to digital channels to facilitate offline bricks-and-mortar shopping when they couldn’t [shop the way they used to and needed safer alternatives](https://www.financedigest.com/whats-better-than-openai-developers-shop-for-alternatives.html "What’s better than OpenAI? Developers shop for alternatives").

“Consumers are in favour of local shopping, but thanks to new commercial options, are now hybrid shoppers,” said Greg Sterling, VP [Market Insights](https://www.financedigest.com/neurostimulation-market-insights-and-forecast-by-2032.html "Neurostimulation Market Insights and Forecast by 2032") at Uberall. “Businesses have to be able to fluidly [move](https://www.financedigest.com/4-ways-moving-office-can-bring-your-business-roi.html "4 ways moving office can bring your business ROI") between offline and online, and combine those assets to create the most convenient experience for the customer.”

**Study methodology:**

Uberall analysed consumer online [engagement for 79,548 mid-market business locations in its customer](https://www.financedigest.com/chatbots-the-secret-weapon-to-customer-engagement.html "Chatbots: The secret weapon to customer engagement?") database, comparing the performance of business profiles on Google My Business in 2020 with the previous year. Mid-market refers to businesses with more than 26 [business locations](https://www.financedigest.com/dont-judge-a-business-by-its-location-entrepreneurial-creativity-could-help-fix-the-fraud-industry.html "Don’t judge a business by its location: entrepreneurial creativity could help fix the fraud industry"), but an annual revenue of less than $500 million.

Performance metrics consist of ‘queries’ – a search that a business appears in – and three types of ‘consumer engagement actions’: (1) clicks on directions to navigate to the location; (2) clicks for phone calls; and (3) clicks on links to websites.

**About Uberall**

Uberall empowers some of the world’s biggest brands to [deliver a memorable ‘Near Me’ Brand Experience — from online interactions](https://www.financedigest.com/new-global-relationship-between-reckon-software-and-myfirmsapp-delivers-closer-interaction-between-accountants-and-their-clients.html "NEW GLOBAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RECKON SOFTWARE AND MYFIRMSAPP DELIVERS CLOSER INTERACTION BETWEEN ACCOUNTANTS AND THEIR CLIENTS") to offline sales. The ‘Near Me’ Brand Experience consists of all the online touchpoints that a [consumer](https://www.financedigest.com/how-cfos-of-consumer-brands-can-create-new-value-relevance-at-scale.html "How CFOs of Consumer Brands can Create New Value & Relevance at Scale") has with the local outlets of a brand, from finding, persuading, buying and recommending, to returning as a regular customer.

Uberall’s solutions enable multi-location brands to easily manage search and discovery, [engagement and conversion](https://www.financedigest.com/how-conversational-commerce-can-help-banks-engage-with-millennials.html "How conversational commerce can help banks engage with Millennials") in real-time on all online platforms — mobile, voice and desktop — across websites, mobile apps, store locators, search engines, maps, social platforms and advertising networks.

Uberall is headquartered in Berlin, with additional offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Detroit, London, Montreal, Paris, and [San Francisco](https://www.financedigest.com/paul-jasper-joins-rimon-laws-san-francisco-office-as-partner.html "Paul Jasper joins Rimon Law’s San Francisco Office as Partner"). Its clients include Fortune 500 companies and industry [leaders from all over the world](https://www.financedigest.com/world-leaders-to-attend-queen-elizabeths-funeral.html "World leaders to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral").

Learn more at [uberall.com](http://uberall.com/)


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