A majority of consumers are still visiting physical stores when buying groceries — even in the wake of a pandemic.
This was according to a new survey from shopping rewards app Shopkick, which revealed that 72 per cent of consumers are visiting supermarkets and 69 per cent are making big box stores their top shopping destinations. (Shopkick surveyed more than 26,000 consumers across the country between 31 March and 6 April 6.)
When searching for essentials, consumers are equal opportunity shoppers. They are also visiting drug stores (42 per cent), dollar stores (32 per cent), club stores (27 per cent) and convenience stores (20 per cent).
While a majority of these customers (72 per cent) are making fewer shopping trips than they did pre-pandemic, nearly 80 per cent said this isn’t due to an increase in their online shopping habits. (In fact, only one in four consumers are making more online purchases, according to an earlier Shopkick survey). Rather, it could be attributed to adhering to social distancing directives, the study reported.
Regardless of where they are shopping, 39 per cent of consumers said they are spending more money per shopping trip than before the COVID-19 outbreak, while 36 per cent reported they’re spending about the same. A majority of shoppers (36 per cent) said they spend between $51-$100 (36 per cent), while 30 per cent are spending between $26-$50 per trip. Only 18 per cent spend an average of $100-$200, 13 per cent spend $0-$25, and a mere three per cent spend more than $200 per trip.
“Beyond the health and safety of our community, we’ve also got to think about costs as millions of Americans face layoffs,” said David Fisch, General Manager of Shopkick. “Retailers who can offer additional deals and coupons or tips on budget-friendly meals will be the ones shoppers want to visit.”
