10th August 2020
The Evolution of Consumer Attitudes During COVID-19
Introduction
COVID-19 has created large scale havoc across the world from a health, economical, and lifestyle perspective that has not been witnessed before. Whilst the peak of the pandemic is said to have passed in many countries and society slowly returns to what it deemed the “new normal”, high levels of confusion, uncertainty and fear still remain in the mind of the consumers. The implications of COVID-19 have been wide ranging impacting and influencing consumer attitudes. So how have consumers changed over the past 3 months when addressing COVID-19.
Health & Well-being
The rapid spread of COVID-19 combined with a real level of uncertainty regarding mortality rates and how susceptible people are to serious complications arising from the disease, has resulted in more consumers becoming conscious about their health and wellness and immunity. FMCG Gurus research shows that 59% of consumers in April said they had become more conscious about their health and well-being; however this has risen by 5% to 64% of consumers in July. This shows that over the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer concern around health and well-being is rising.
This concern has led to a change in consumer attitudes as they actively seek new ways to stay healthier for the future. This is highlighted as 84% of consumers in July, say that they will make greater attempts to stay healthier as a result of COVID-19. One way in which consumers are changing is by adopting a back to basics approach to their diets by increasing their fruit and vegetable intake.
Snacking Habits
The last few months have seen significant disruption to the daily lives of consumers, something that will have directly impacted on eating habits. Indeed, FMCG Gurus research shows that over the period April-July, a high proportion of consumers said that they were snacking more regularly, whilst around one in five also said that they were being less attentive to calorie intake. Consumers have turned to products synonymous with indulgence, such as chocolate and sugar confectionery. This will have been done for mental well-being purposes. FMCG Gurus consumer insights show that 39% of global consumers say they have purchased more chocolate in the past months than they previously had. This rise in snacking on indulgent products such as chocolate has also led to a number of consumers becoming more conscious about their waistlines.
FMCG Gurus research shows that 37% of global consumers in July say they have become more conscious about their weight. this has increased by 16% from the April suggesting due to heavy snacking over the lockdown period has led consumers wanting to reduce their weight. This is also highlighted as four in ten consumers say that they plan to lose weight once the coronavirus pandemic is over. On way in which consumers will look to reduce weight is to improve their diets by reducing their sugar intake. FMCG Gurus Research shows that across April to July 58% of global consumers plan to eat and drink healthier by reducing sugar intake.
For more information on our latest COVID-19 report please click here.