SHOPPING LOCALLY

LOCKDOWN DRIVING LOCAL LOYALTY?

NEW RESEARCH HAS HIGHLIGHTED THAT TWO IN FIVE BRITS HAVE USED LOCAL SHOPS MORE DURINGLOCKDOWN AND OVER A THIRD ARE PLANNING TO CONTINUE TO SHOP LOCALLY WHEN LOCKDOWNFINALLY ENDS.

The often heart-breaking impact of coronavirus on our world is there for all to see but amidst the sadness, chaos and despair, there are some small positives to be taken. An apparent shift to a more caring, compassionate society is one potentially transformative trend while, closer to home, it’s increasingly looking like more and more shoppers are both using local stores more frequently and enjoying the experience.

A survey published in the last week by personal finance company Finder.com has found that two in five consumers in Britain have used local shops more during lockdown than they ever have in the past – and a third are planning to continue to shop locally when lockdown ends.

With empty shelves and lengthy queues becoming an issue at supermarkets, many UK consumers have turned to local stores to source their food and other goods.

The research conducted in April among 2,000 UK shoppers found that 41% of Brits have been shopping in their local greengrocers, butchers and convenience stores more often than usual during lockdown.

Possibly even more interesting is the finding that 36% said they will continue to use their neighbourhood stores more frequently after lockdown ends with just 19% saying they would use them less.

The two main reasons given were to avoid entrance queues and steer clear of crowds at supermarkets. Vitally, the third most common reason was to support local businesses during the current financial squeeze, showing community spirit among UK consumers that will hopefully continue after the pandemic.

Generation X shoppers (born from 1965 to 1980) are increasing their visits to local stores the most, with 45% using them more. They are also the age group most likely to continue to go to their neighbourhood shops more frequently after lockdown, at 43%.

The results echo recent figures from digital banking brand Revolut who analysed spending data for three million banking app users in March and revealed a surge in sales at local convenience stores. Revolut says that convenience retail chains like Nisa, McColls and Costcutter “each saw an increase in the number of transactions larger than any of the UK’s major supermarkets”.

The greatest uplift of all was at Nisa, where the value of sales grew by 52%. However, the number of transactions was only up by 15%, reflecting an increase in the amount customers are prepared to spend each time they shop locally.

To view the full Finder report, visit www.finder.com/uk/shoppingdeals#corona-paper.