– According to PwC, the rapidly changing behaviors in 2020 accelerate the integration of digital, health and sustainability trends through consumers
NEW YORK, July 8, 2020 / PRNewswire / –
– 45% of world consumers indicate that health care is one of the three main reasons for living in a city – 69% of world consumers are more focused on mental health and well-being – 43 % of global consumers expect businesses to count when it comes to impact on their environment
Accelerating consumer trends and behavior was already underway prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, taking another step forward and kick-starting companies facing consumers and retailers when it comes to how to conduct business, according to a new PwC report.
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Findings from two surveys conducted before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and released today in PwC’s 11th consecutive Global Consumer Insights Survey focus on urban consumer shopping habits and behaviors and how global disruption has forced into a slowdown in a more digital way of life. Billions of people around the world live in cities, and this concentration has created a new era in world consumption; cities are centers in which economic activity takes place.
The results of the survey reveal that the pandemic and the assurance of social distancing measures put in place have led to changes in how consumers work, eat, communicate and take care of their health.
Consumers have adapted to how they buy
Social distancing measures have been put in place because the coronavirus has affected consumers in all aspects of life, including how they buy drugstore items. While shopping at drug stores is the main channel of choice, more than a third of consumers (35%) buy food online, while 86% of those who buy online plan to continue after the measures are removed of social distancing. For non-food items, shopping in stores before the pandemic was dominant over online shopping, with 47% of consumers indicating that they shop in physical stores daily or weekly compared to shopping through mobile phones (30%), computers (28%) and intelligent voice assistants (15%). Since then, online purchases for non-food items have experienced a substantial increase (mobile phones 45%; computer 41%; tablet 33%), this trend being especially pronounced in China and the Middle East, with 60% and 58% of the respondents, respectively, explaining that they have started to buy more with mobile phones.
The importance of connection, community and self-care is clear
59% of millennials and 57% of those with children are focusing more on their well-being than other groups. The goal of self-care has grown, with 51% of urban consumers indicating that they agree or strongly agree with being more focused on their mental health and well-being, physical health and diet as a result of COVID-19.
Urban residents surveyed after the outbreak see safety and control and health care as concepts of equal importance to quality of life and job prospects, with 49% and 45% of respondents indicating that, respectively, compared to 45% for employment.
Consumers and sustainability
Our research has demonstrated a clear objective placed on sustainability and a sense of civic endeavor. For example, in the results of a survey conducted before the pandemic, 45% of our global respondents indicated avoiding the use of plastic as much as possible, 43% expected businesses to account for environmental impact, and 41 % expected retailers to remove plastic bags and packaging for perishables. And what is more interesting, when consumers were asked who was most responsible for urging sustainable behavior in their city, 20% chose “me, the consumer”, while 15% selected “the producer or the manufacturer”. When consumers were asked about their willingness to share data, 49% explained that they were willing to share their data if they helped improve the city.
“While some trends are clearly on the rise for some time, our research has shown that the pandemic has fueled consumers’ desire for transparency, sustainability and convenience. The companies that will reap the most awards are those that have established trust with the consumer, investing in a journey of purchase for the integral final customer and without friction and prioritizing the health and safety of the consumers “, explained Steve Barr, leader of the global consumer markets of PwC US.
In addition, Oz Ozturk, advisory leader for global consumer markets at PwC UK, explained: “In our 11 years of consumer surveys around the world, we have never documented a clearer convergence of issues regarding transparency, sustainability and social awareness. At such a pivotal time, the need for consumer companies in relation to building trust with potential customers couldn’t be clearer. “
Notes to Editors The Global Consumer Insights Survey is the 11th consecutive PwC global consumer survey. PwC has conducted two separate online surveys, the first of which collected responses from 19,098 consumers from 27 countries or territories and 74 cities between August and September 2019. The second survey collected responses from 4,447 consumers from 9 countries or territories. and 35 cities between April and May 2020. To download the full report visit the website www.pwc.com/consumerinsights [[https://www.pwc.com/consumerinsights]
About PwC The purpose of PwC is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We are a network of firms present in 157 countries with more than 250,000 people dedicated to offering quality insurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you in www.pwc.com [[http://www.pwc.com/].
PwC refers to the PwC network and / or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. For more details, visit www.pwc.com/structure [[http://www.pwc.com/structure].
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CONTACT: CONTACT: Dannel Chery, Corporate Affairs and Global Communications, Mobile (1) 914-912-1773, E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.pwc.com/
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