GlobalWebIndex's latest report into COVID-19 consumer research has shown that many consumers are planning (very) slow returns to public places.
Their report provides a global picture of how countries are handling the pandemic, as some hope to enter the recovery phase. The research was conducted in 17 countries between April 22 – 27, among a total of 15,277 internet users.
As lockdowns and restrictions begin to ease a little in many countries, the study shows how the situation is evolving, levels of optimism and confidence amongst consumers and plans to return to normality.
Concerns about safety prove to be a key driver – across all areas of the study, future behaviours centre around minimising personal risk; in some cases people plan to achieve that by spending less time in public places, while in others it is through more usage of things like home delivery, digital communication, and staying in the local area rather than venturing further afield.
Almost half of respondents say they will not return to shops “for some time” or “for a long time”; this rises to nearly 60% for large outdoor venues (e.g. sports stadiums, music festivals) and climbs still higher to two thirds for large indoor venues (e.g. cinemas, concert halls, sports arenas).
Globally, only 6% say they will return immediately to large outdoor venues, and only 4% anticipate an immediate return to indoor ones. The figures for shops are slightly higher, but even then it’s only 9% who expect an immediate return to normality.
Expectations around returning to shops are fairly consistent by age, income and gender. Elsewhere, demographic variations can be stronger; boomers and the higher income group are the most likely to say they will delay returning to large outdoor or indoor venues.
