Study Finds Consumers Returning To Stores, But Shopping Habits Have Changed

As Covid-19 lockdown measures continue to be scaled back around the world, almost three-quarters of global consumers (71%) now report feeling comfortable returning to physical stores, according to research by Mood Media entitled “Shopper Sentiments: A September 2020 Global Mood Survey.” But their shopping habits have changed and they see a “return to normal” as still being a ways off. The research was conducted in partnership with Censuswide.

More than 8,000 consumers across the UK, US, China, and France were surveyed about how they are adjusting their in-store shopping behaviors and developing new shopping patterns in today’s world. Key US findings include: Reassurance from Safety Measures in-store: More than three-quarters of US consumers (76%) report feeling at least somewhat comfortable with the new health and safety measures placed in stores, and 37% report that these health and safety measures make them feel safer. Non-Essential Shopping: Sixty percent of US shoppers say they have already returned to non-essential retail stores, but only at a rate of 51% for those 55+ in age.

US shoppers aged 16-24 are returning to non-essential shopping more conservatively than other countries surveyed, at a rate of 54% compared to a combined rate of 74% elsewhere. Changing Shopping Habits Among US Consumers: Of those comfortable returning to physical stores, 28% of US respondents reported spending less money and less time shopping than before the pandemic, while 20% in the US are spending more money and less time in-store than pre-pandemic. This highlights an overarching trend of consumers trying to spend less time in-store - regardless of their spend.

Optimism Regarding a “Return to Normal”: Only 22% of US shoppers expect their shopping habits to “return to normal” by the end of 2020 (29% of males and 16% of females) while 24% don’t expect to fully resume their in-store shopping habits until the summer of 2021. Additionally, 16% predict it taking until the end of 2021 before shopping norms can resume. The most optimistic group in the US are males in the Southeast, where 34% believe normalcy will return by the end of 2020.

The least optimistic US group are females in the West, where 24% don't believe their consumer shopping habits will ever return to pre-pandemic norms.