As part of our 2020 Consumer Study, this report reflects how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumer behavior, specifically related to their grocery, dining, and general shopping habits.
One thing is clear: there is no one size fits all approach. The demographic variances, from generation to gender to income, highlight different reactions across the board.
Learn more about:
- How COVID-19 has changed grocery shopping habits
- How often consumers are ordering from restaurants
- Which areas have seen an increase in spending
- What consumers need to feel safe enough to shop in person
- Next steps for you and your business
Retail design firm King Retail Solutions (“KRS”) has revived its annual study to better understand US consumer behaviors and preferences. This year, we are including a supplemental report that focuses on changing shopping habits due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
This report reflects how the coronavirus has impacted consumer behavior, specifically related to their grocery, dining, and general shopping habits.
One thing is clear: there is no one size fits all approach. The demographic variances, from generation to gender to income, highlight different reactions across the board.
Grocery Shopping Frequency
Shoppers have
increasingly chosen to
order exclusively online
for pickup or delivery,
up to 12% from 4% prior
to the recommended
quarantine.
The differences in generational shopping habits also extend into online shopping, both prior to and during the quarantine, with Millennials having the biggest shift (from 6% to 16%), followed by Gen Xers (5% to 12%), and Boomers (2% to 8%).
When it comes to shopping “exclusively online for pickup or delivery”, however, the largest discrepancies in shopping habits are not based on age but on income. Prior to the quarantine, shoppers with incomes under $25k were the largest demographic (10%) using this shopping method. Shoppers with incomes over $200k did not use this option at all (0%) prior to the quarantine. During the quarantine, however, they surpass all other incomes and now 22% are doing their grocery shopping exclusively online.
Dining Frequency
Ordering from restaurants has seen a significant decline. Prior to the quarantine, 81% of consumers ate out at least once every two weeks, with the highest percentage (32%) eating out weekly. Since the quarantine, 39% of consumers reported ‘almost never’ ordering from restaurants.
Quarantined Millennials are ordering from restaurants (80%) more often than pre-quarantined Boomers (75%) and as often as pre-quarantined Gen Xers (80%).
Quarantine Shopping
In general, 50% of the respondents answered “Take out food/alcohol” as the largest category where they have spent more money since the quarantine, with Boomers without kids living at home have the largest increase at 60%.
Shopping Safety
In general, sanitized carts were chosen as the most important item (58%), followed closely by available inventory (54%), personal safety items (52%) and limited shoppers in store (50%).
Variations to these priorities are seen in each demographic group.
Women prioritize available inventory (63%) over sanitized carts (62%).
Boomers, in general, also prioritize available inventory (61%) over a two-way second place tie of sanitized carts and limited shoppers in store (56%). Except for Boomers with kids, who prioritize personal safety items (63%).
The New Normal
Most respondents (33%) selected that they will ease in but eventually go back to normal after two to three months, followed by “I will go back to normal immediately” (24%).
Some demographics flip these responses, however:
38% of Gen Xers chose “I will go back to normal immediately.” For Gen Xers without kids, that percentage jumps to 43%. Gen Xers with kids follow the general response, with the highest number (32%) saying they will ease in but eventually go back to normal after two to three months.
Urban respondents also chose going back to normal immediately (32%) over easing in (29%), as did respondents with income over $200K with 50% going back to normal immediately over easing in (33%).
