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How has COVID-19 changed consumer behavior?
Zinklar has conducted a survey in six countries – France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, the UK, and the US – to better understand post-COVID consumer trends, especially in the food & beverage industry. The insights revealed will help brands and retailers adapt to the new shopping habits and to the evolving needs of consumers in the new normal
Consumer behavior evolves progressively, not abruptly. That belief blew to pieces once the COVID-19 pandemic hit consumers globally. A few waves later, we as consumers have adapted our way of life to the ups and downs of the virus prevalence and the evolving health recommendations. In a world where social distancing, remote work, and online shopping are the new normal, it’s clear that drink and food consumption habits were not going to stay still. And it has not. Check out in our report what are post-pandemic consumer expectations and how this is impacting the packaged goods industry in the long term.
What are changes in consumer habits?
Changes in consumer habits occur when consumers modify their behavior regarding the products and services they purchase and/or use. To detect them, it’s necessary to conduct market research to obtain insights on consumer habits in any sector and category.
What are consumer trends after COVID?
- 54% of consumers declare that they have changed how they eat and drink since the pandemic started. 11% say that the level of change has been significant. Change has been more critical among the younger population, which is more adaptable and open to adopting new behaviors.
- Health and well-being have been at the heart of the change. For a couple of years, we have received plenty of information about how to prevent the spread of COVID cases, how to protect ourselves, and how we should cope with physical and mental well-being. Not surprising then that 51% of consumers declare to eat now more healthily and plan to continue to spend on healthy food.
- The return to the exact old patterns is unlikely. Speaking to many insights experts, I have always received the same question. Will consumers keep the new consumption habits, or will they be back to what they did before? These dilemmas only have a possible answer. Consumers will do both, but to what extent? Consumers that believe that new habits are to stay surpass comfortably the ones that believe that their consumption will return to what it was.
- Eat-in is the new eat-out. Consumers have been forced to replace eating out with different ways to treat themselves. One way has been accessing more often delivery services, which have particularly boomed in countries like the US and Mexico. The other way has been to cook at home some of the meals people used to consume out-of-home.
- Sustainability is diverse. Consumers worldwide identify using natural ingredients as one factor influencing their food and drinks purchase. But whereas in France, buying local products is extremely important, there is a higher interest in sustainable or waste-free packaging in the UK.
This survey’s findings help brands adapt their offers and messages to today’s consumers’ preferences. The quantification of the impact for every category will require a deep dive and, despite what we once believed was not needed, a regular check to early detect changes in consumer behavior patterns that are not stable anymore.
