New poll finds COVID-19 habits are here to stay
Americans say they will continue to cook, workout and shop from home more when the pandemic is over than they did before the virus existed, creating sustained demand for more home deliveries
Americans say they will continue to cook, workout and shop from home more when the pandemic is over than they did before the virus existed, creating sustained demand for more home deliveries
In a new, national survey asking respondents to contemplate a post-pandemic world, Pitney Bowes Inc.’s BOXpollTM has found that many of the social and economic behaviours Americans have adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to outlast the virus.
More than half of consumers (54%) shop online more often today versus pre-pandemic and 73% of those customers say they have enjoyed shopping online during the pandemic more than they expected.
Moreover, the number of consumers doing more than half their shopping online is nearly triple what it was before the pandemic (45% now, versus 16% before).
Shoppers also seem to be enjoying the variety of brands available to them, with 28% of online shoppers are also spending more time searching for new brands or sites they have never visited before (led by nearly 40% of Gen Z).
The survey showed that 55% of American consumers were shopping more on Amazon today, versus pre-pandemic, with 36% shopping more at Walmart, 35% shopping more at other online marketplaces (besides Amazon), and 24% spending more of their money with small or local businesses.
“In the ecommerce space, people are telling us they plan to continue shopping online more than ever before. They’re also spending more time on mobile devices browsing for new brands. Both of these trends present new opportunities and new challenges for retail and ecommerce businesses and the logistics companies who serve them,” said Gregg Zegras, EVP and President of Global Ecommerce at Pitney Bowes.
“We can all see from the changes in our own homes and workplaces just how dramatically the pandemic is impacting daily life, but I think earlier this year, many people expected to one day go back to ‘the way things were.’ This survey says, in many aspects of our lives, we’re choosing never to go back,” said Zegras. “While Pitney Bowes is particularly focused on the shipping and ecommerce space, businesses in all industries will benefit from listening to what consumers are telling us about their future plans for a post-pandemic world.”