RESEARCH
POST-CORONAVIRUS SHOPPER BEHAVIOUR THE ‘NEW NORMAL’
CONSUMERS SET TO PERMANENTLY CHANGE THE WAY THEY SHOP SEVERAL NEW PIECES OF RESEARCH INDICATE THAT THE WAY CONSUMERS SHOP
A
IS SET TO PERMANENTLY CHANGE ONCE COVID-19 HAS PASSED – WITH HUGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL RETAILERS.
number of new studies indicates clearly that a large number of consumers look set to permanently change the way they shop after the coronavirus pandemic has finally passed.
PERMANENT CHANGE New research from economics consultancy Retail Economics reveals that more than a quarter (28%) of consumers said categorically that the way they shop will change permanently because of Covid-19. Lockdowns, social distancing and the closure of non-essential retailing had an immediate impact on consumers’ lives but the crisis looks set to cause a step-change in behaviour that will have long-lasting consequences for the industry and will create new challenges and opportunities for retailers. The research was carried out among 2,000 households and found that 43% of consumers have switched to purchasing products online that they had previously only ever purchased in-store.
10 I SLRMAG.CO.UK / ISSUE 7 / WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE 2020
Even with lockdown being eased, many shoppers do not anticipate returning to their pre-coronavirus habits with just 10% saying they would do so and 40% saying they would remain “extremely cautious”. Richard Lim, CEO of Retail Economics, said: “The road to recovery for the retail sector is likely to be slow and protracted as consumers feel uneasy about returning to normal life when restrictions ease.
