COVID-19: How Consumers are Adapting for the Long-Term

Consumer Concerns

What consumers are worried about indicates they have realized that the impact of pandemic is here for the long term.  Consumer concern about the political climate, cancelled plans, and health and wellness have all risen significantly from May to June.

• Political Climate: 35% of consumers are concerned about the political climate, which has spiked +5 points since May. With concerns about the pandemic and protests rising, it is also likely consumers are beginning to think long-term and the implications of the upcoming presidential election.
• Cancelled Plans: Over the past month consumer concerns about have increased about cancelled plans (31%, +5 points since May), and about missing major events such as weddings (28%, + 7 points since May 2020). These figures suggest consumers are beginning to realize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are long-lasting and will continue to impact major events in their lives for the foreseeable future.
• Health & Wellness: The number of consumers seeking information about health and wellness increased significantly in June 2020 (34%, +6 points since May 2020). Now over one third of Americans report they are being proactive about their health and taking action to improve their wellness, indicating increased concern and effort to become healthier in the face of the virus.

Back to Healthy Eating

In addition to increased concerns about the long-lasting effects of COVID-19 on the future, consumers are taking action to return to a sense of normalcy, particularly in terms of their eating habits. During the recess period of the first few months of the pandemic, consumers broke their healthy habits but as time has gone on, consumers are returning to their regular health routines. Here are a few ways consumers are changing what they eat to inch back to their habits pre COVID-19:

• More Plant-Based Consumption: 28% of consumers report they are trying to eat more plant-based foods. This number had dropped to 25% in May 2020 and has now inched back up closer to what it was pre-COVID.
• Growing Organic Purchases: 56% of Americans report buying organic products, returning to the rate from last June after dropping 4 points in May 2020. Despite the instability of the U.S. economy, a segment of consumers are once again willing to pay the price premium demanded by organic products to ensure that they are consuming organic products.
• Avoiding Dairy: Dairy avoidance was rising in the U.S. prior to COVID-19 with one third of U.S. consumers avoiding dairy as of June 2019. When the pandemic hit, dairy avoidance dropped significantly, but once again is slowly rising. Consumers avoiding dairy increased 3 points in June 2020, but it still down 10 points from last year. However, we expect to see this number continue to rise as consumers continue to return to normalcy.

Changing Behaviors

With this return to “normalcy” by consumers, there have been some big behavior shifts when it comes to shopping and coping with stress.  Given the consumer sentiment that this pandemic is here to stay, we expect the following trends to continue well into the future:

• Shopping online: The number of consumers who report they have ordered groceries online has increased 75% since the start of the pandemic. As consumers become more accustomed to this way of shopping, and enjoy the convenience of doing so, it is expected that the pandemic will accelerate a more permanent shift to online shopping.
• Going out shopping less frequently: With the rising popularity of online shopping and fear of shopping in the store, consumers are shopping less frequently. In fact, 66% of Americans agree that they want to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible and 53% are intentionally stocking up on supplies to prevent running out of food and supplies. As consumers have adjusted to less frequent shopping trips, and are supplementing with online trips, we expect this trend to last into the foreseeable future.
• Stress and coping mechanisms: The COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of stress on consumers with the fear of getting sick or losing loved ones, financial instability, and loneliness. In this time of duress, consumers have turned to products to help them find relief. Over the course of the pandemic, consumers report they have increased usage of alcohol, tobacco, CBD and marijuana. As the stress and pain of the pandemic will likely leave lasting impacts on many consumers, so will the usage of these products to help them receive relief and comfort.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of uncertainty and concern that has led consumers to change their routines. As they have had time to adjust to quarantine, consumers have finally come out of their recess mentality and are focusing on their health and wellness, as well as thinking ahead to the lasting impacts and effect on the future. As you think about your adjusting strategy, consider how your brand can help consumers along this journey to support their health, deliver convenience, and cope with the uncertainty that comes with the future of the pandemic.