Shopping habits formed during the pandemic will likely last post-lockdown. YPulse’s Retail’s New Reality trend report found that 82% of 13-39-year-olds have been shopping online more than than they did before COVID began, and we predicted that they’re being trained to think ecommerce-first for the long haul. Now, RetailMeNot’s 2021 Retail Outlook survey found that 74% of shoppers say the pandemic has “fundamentally changed” how they shop, while 42% of shoppers believe those new habits are here to stay. Forty-four percent say they now buy things that they expect to need well in advance proving that the shortages and “binge-buying” during the early days of lockdown continue to influence how customers make purchases. Discounts are also more in-demand: 70% reported that finding a discount when shopping online is more important to them now than it was last year. When it comes to a next round of stimulus money, the data shows that Millennials are expected to spend it on clothes and tech, while “high earners” plan to increase spending across all categories like travel and home improvement products. (Adweek)
