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10 Ways Consumer Behaviour Has Changed During Lock-down

As I write this, we are four weeks into lock-down here in the UK. It's a strange and surreal time for everyone across the world.


You might be one of the many front-line workers dealing directly with the pandemic. Perhaps you're worried about your own health and livelihood or maybe you are just trying to manage each day as it comes.


Whatever your situation, I'm sure life is quite different compared with just a few months ago.


Because our lives are different we are shopping and consuming differently impacting many industries and categories. Some are obvious, but others you might not have even considered.


Here are 10 ways our behaviour has changed during lock-down...

1. How we are shopping


March saw the biggest month of grocery sales ever recorded in the UK. This was caused by many of us making more trips and buying more than usual to prepare for the lock-down.


With the restrictions in place, shoppers have started to make fewer trips - they are spending more in each trip, though we don’t know yet if this will offset the drop in frequency.


If we follow the trend in China, we can expect a decline in overall grocery sales in the next six weeks.

Online shopping has unsurprisingly seen an increased level of focus during the pandemic. In the first week of lock-down some supermarket websites saw 10 times the traffic than they had 4 weeks prior. During this period delivery slots have been like gold dust; however, retailers including Tesco and Asda are increasing their capacity to deliver more online orders.

2. How we are eating


Ordinarily 40% of the UK's food & drink spend is out of the home, so having all of our meals in the home is a big change for many. Because we are making fewer grocery trips we either have to plan our meals in advance or be more creative with what we have in the cupboard.

The already booming takeaway industry grew +14% in 2019, largely driven by the growing popularity of delivery services Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. It’s likely that the popularity of these services will continue to grow. The choice on these sites has however been limited by the eateries that have remained open for delivery. With the closure of local restaurants and popular chains including Nando’s, many families may choose to keep cooking at home.

3. The brands we are buying

If you were in store late February or early March, you will have noticed items like toilet roll and hand sanitiser were running low, if not completely out of stock. You may also have noticed that branded items in these categories were often sold out before their own label counterparts.


During a time of crisis, we instinctively do everything we can to protect ourselves and to make sense of an unfamiliar situation.


So, when shopping, it’s likely we will lean more on the aspects of trust and familiarity. There may be a rational part of the brain that believes Dettol wipes will be more effective than Tesco wipes, but there is also a subconscious part telling us to buy the thing that is well-known. In most categories this will be the big brands.

4. What we are wearing

The pandemic has had a significant effect on the fashion industry. Although high street stores have closed, retailers are still able to operate through their online stores. However, our need for new clothing has reduced given the majority of us are staying home.

Clothing brands have had to take big steps to protect the future of their business. Iconic stores including Debenhams, Warehouse and Oasis have filed for administration. Topshop owner Arcadia has reduced the salaries of its senior leadership and furloughed many of its staff.


Despite the fashion magazines encouraging us to try new looks for our video conferences, most of us are sticking to our trackies or wearing some form of the trending zoom mullet.


I quite like working in my PJ bottoms!

5. How we are looking after our homes


Being stuck in the house coupled with the health risks of the pandemic has had an impact on how we approach cleaning.


In the initial weeks our first instinct was to rid our homes of germs and we could see bare shelves where the aisles once containing anti-bacterial wipes had been decimated. More time at home also means an increase in dirty dishes and messes to clean up.


There is more than hygiene at play, with many people using the time at home as an opportunity to de-clutter or reorganise. Coinciding with the launch of her new book “Joy at Work”, tidying-up expert Marie Kondo has been one of the many influencers encouraging people to get their homes organised.


6. Our personal care regime

Whether or not you’re sticking to a routine while you’re in lock-down, I’m sure you’ve noticed your personal care regime has changed. You might be showering at a different time of day or you might be skipping the usual application of make-up or hair gel.


Google searches for “No Poo” (meaning no shampoo) have more than doubled in the last six weeks, as consumers take this opportunity to stop washing their hair or use alternatives like apple cider vinegar.


The biggest change in our personal care routine is the increased focus on washing our hands. Over the last few years, bar soap has been returning to popularity as a result of to the anti-plastic movement. Since coronavirus has hit our shores, liquid soap has become so popular you’d be lucky to find it on shelves.


Boots' soap shelves in late February.

7. How much TV we are watching

27 million of us tuned in to watch Boris Johnson’s announcement of the nationwide lockdown, making it the most watched TV broadcast in the UK since the Funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.

Saturday night TV has become more popular than ever. On the 21st of March, ITV’s Saturday night line up saw record viewers, peaking at over 11 million. Britain’s Got Talent began three weeks later, with the first round of auditions averaging 8.6 million viewers, a big increase vs. last year's opening episode.


Streaming services are also seeing increased traffic and viewership, causing Netflix and others to lower their video quality. Regardless, it’s estimated that Netflix will attract 1.7 million more subscribers per month in the UK.


The launch of the new Disney Plus service in the UK exceeded expectations with the app being downloaded 5 million times on launch day alone.

8. The way we exercise


There are just under 10 million people in the UK with a membership to a gym or fitness club, along with over 10 million school children missing out on PE and other sporting activities.


Many of us are taking advantage of the opportunity to get out of the house for exercise once a day through walking, running or cycling.


There have also been opportunities for us to work out at home, most notably from Joe Wicks who's online PE class achieved a Guinness World Record for most-watched YouTube workout live stream ever.


9. We're getting into baking


The home baking aisles have been hit pretty hard as many people have taken up home baking as a way to pass the time. Google searches for baking, cakes, cookies and bread have all doubled since just before the lock-down.

10. Our pets' routines are adjusting

It's not just the human members of the family who are suffering with the lock-down. Having the humans at home all the time is a big change for many pets.


Some might not be getting the space they are used to or might not be getting out of the house as much.



Unable to take their pets to the groomers, many owners are also having to face the dreaded bath time themselves. I came across this genius solution to clipping your dog's nails, if needed.


 

A year from now, some of these changes might just be a blip on a chart. Some could have a much longer impact on how we live, shop and consume for years to come.


I hope you are holding up well and, most importantly, that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Take care of yourselves and those around you.


If you want help connecting with your target consumers in this time or if you want to understand the impact on your category, I'm here to help. Get in touch today.


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1 Comment


dme
Apr 20, 2020

Ella, thanks for this excellent summary of 'where we are'. The impact of a nationwide behaviour change touches so many eco-systems. Home baking is very popular with my friends and neighbours 9assuming they can find yeast and flour). Making pasta is a big hit, but find the semolina ( a James Martin recipe ingredient) is a challenge. Our dog is willing us not to take him out (again). Have a good day. David #stayinstaysafe

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