Adventurous shoppers find new brands during coronavirus outbreak

39% of consumers globally purchased from new brands during the coronavirus lockdown and 88% will continue to buy from those ventures in the future, according to research conducted by Bazaarvoice.

8,062 consumers were surveyed across six countries: UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United States.

In the UK, 46% of respondents shopped online at least once a week during lockdown, with one in five making multiple purchases a week. Younger generations were more adventurous when it came to purchasing from different brands in this period, with 62% of Gen Z (18-24 year olds) testing out new product options, compared to just 25% of over 65s.

Despite retail stores reopening and consumers having more choice now, just 12% of Brits plan to revert to their pre-lockdown product choices, even though 44% only elected to try a new brand because their preferred one was unavailable.

Reasons shoppers won’t continue to buy from the new brand they discovered are that it is too expensive (18%) or that they usually prefer more sustainable options (15%).

Demand for specific products skyrocketed during the early stages of the pandemic, and with non-essential stores shuttered and many grocery store shelves empty, one in five UK consumers turned to subscription services. 80% will continue with this post lockdown, citing confidence in the product quality (52%), ease (45%) and regular and reliable delivery (32%).

Suzin Wold, SVP Marketing at Bazaarvoice, comments: “Amazon has been one of the big winners of the last few months, but the opportunity for other brands to win loyalty from new customers as people’s habits change is huge.”

“The success of subscription services reflects the rapid digital evolution we have experienced this year. Younger consumers are some of the most powerful influencers and their use of social plays a large part in enabling customers to share experiences that credit these brands.”

Wold concludes: “Retailers and brands must stay in tune with consumers’ priorities over the coming months and ensure they provide store and product information that instils confidence in shoppers.”

“As consumers return in-store, the use of technology to connect online and offline and provide shoppers with product information before they visit will be important. An omnichannel approach not only enables a stronger connection with consumers but also creates a seamless experience.”