Amazon and indie retailers emerge as big coronavirus winners
Six months of the coronavirus pandemic have completely changed how Brits shop. And 81% of us are going to stay that way, according to research by e-commerce agency Melody.
The company surveyed more than 2,000 shoppers and also found that the number of people who say they purchase on Amazon more often has jumped from 19% in April to 29% in September.
In addition, 20% now believe they will maintain that habit when the pandemic is over, up from the 12% who thought that way six months ago.
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18% say that when things return to normal, they will continue to buy items online that they would have previously bought on the high street. 25% of over-55s now shop more on Amazon and 18% think they’ll continue to do so in a post-pandemic world.
28% of respondents in that age group now buy items online that previously they’d have purchased on the high street and 22% plan to continue that habit post-pandemic.
Independent retailers have, meanwhile, become increasingly popular among UK shoppers. 18% of those surveyed are shopping at those stores more regularly, and 14% will continue to do so even after the pandemic has subsided.
The research also found that one in five Brits don’t think any high street stores are doing a good job when it comes to consumers’ coronavirus health and safety concerns. Supermarkets come out top – 60% state that they’re doing well – but then it drops off to garden centres on 22%, high street shops on 20% and shopping centres/malls on 16%.
Chris Cooper, Planning Director at Melody, comments: “The recent surge towards e-commerce has transformed the UK’s retail landscape. Brands that never previously thought about online shopping, or only viewed it as an afterthought, are having to invest massively in digital platforms.”
“The data also shows that this isn’t a one time or short-term thing. Retailers are having to come to grips with years of advancement in online shopping that have taken place in a handful of months. A number of big name high street brands have already fallen by the wayside because shoppers have utterly changed how they think and behave. Those that remain will have to double down on their online efforts,” he concludes.
