2020 was an extremely turbulent year for the UK and countries across the world. COVID-19 spread rapidly throughout the globe, meaning life as we knew it had to be put on hold for the foreseeable future. As nationwide lockdowns were introduced, it meant that industries such as retail and hospitality had to close and business owners were forced to adapt quickly, or risk a very uncertain future.
The retail industry has been hit particularly hard, as physical stores have had to remain closed for a large part of the past year. This hasn’t deterred consumers though, as people have resorted to online shopping to buy essential and non-essential goods.
Online shopping hit an all time high during 2020 and it’s predicted that the pandemic will change the way consumers shop for the foreseeable future. With this in mind, CallCare wanted to look at this subject in detail, by creating a survey to find out how COVID-19 has affected the nation’s shopping habits. After reading through their findings, we wanted to share some of the most interesting data with you, which can be found below.
Which method of shopping have you preferred to buy essential items?
With people hesitant to go to a physical store due to their concerns over the virus, it comes as no surprise that 51.38% of people say they have opted to shop online over the past year. With the demand for online grocery shopping growing significantly, it has meant that supermarket chains such as ASDA and Tesco have had to recruit more delivery drivers to meet the needs of consumers.
COVID-19 didn’t stop everyone from shopping in physical stores, as many people like to pick their own goods and see it as a more convenient option. According to CallCare’s survey, 43.25% of respondents said they have been shopping in physical stores during 2020, which may be a higher figure than what most people expected.
Which method of shopping have you preferred to buy non-essential items?
As the UK was put into lockdown, we were told to only leave the house for essential items, meaning for the likes of clothing and technology, consumers would have to resort to online shopping. The survey results show that 67.50% of people said they had completed most of their shopping for non-essential items online, which won’t come as an immediate shock.
Once lockdown restrictions were eased and the majority of industries were allowed to open their doors again, it meant that consumers could shop in physical stores. 25.37% of respondents revealed that a large portion of their shopping was done in-store, but sadly, the effects of the pandemic has resulted in many high streets shops having to close their doors for good.
We’d like to know if the effects of the pandemic have changed your shopping habits. Share your thoughts on social, using #2021Customers.
