Without shoes, but with detergents: how consumers changed habits during the pandemic
'05.02.2021'
Source: with the BBC
Coronavirus-related restrictions around the world have lasted for almost a year, and, judging by the forecasts, real relief should be expected only in the summer. During this time, people have completely changed their consumer habits. They began to take care of themselves less and more - to the house, says with the BBC.
Not up to loved ones
Sales of high-heeled shoes in the US and Europe fell more than 40%. They simply have nowhere else to go.
Supermarkets have not sold out their spring stocks of sunscreen. There was nowhere to use them.
Purchases of professional cosmetics and makeup products fell 25%. Whether a person's makeup is perfect or not, it's still not very visible in the zoom.
The largest Western auditing companies and banks have been monitoring the situation in the consumer market for a year and recording what seemed incredible earlier.
For example, sales of footwear fell by 30%, clothing - by an average of 20%. One of the world's largest brands, Swedish H&M, reported an 2020% drop in sales in 18.
A study by consultancy Deloitte says that new furniture purchases are 25% less, watches and jewelry - 20%. Analysts attribute this to the fact that people like to choose this type of product in stores personally, but since March 2020 they have practically no such opportunity.
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The International Energy Agency, which has been monitoring the consumption of all forms of energy since the mid-1970s, says that overall it has dropped by 20% due to closed offices and shopping centers.
The countries of the European Union have set a record for the consumption of solar and wind energy - the agency says that there may not be a second such chance to switch to renewable energy sources.
Alcohol records
British citizens have changed the way they buy food and some of their habits. Online orders grew from 9% to 60%, and this has led to the fact that in many supermarket chains all slots for sending couriers are occupied for three to four weeks in advance, and the business is still unable to cope with the influx.
Meat sales have grown by 10%, contrary to a clear trend in recent years, when more people, especially young people, choose to be vegetarians and vegans. But their lack of demand was compensated for by those who started working from home and stopped buying lunches in cafes and restaurants near the office.
Sales of fresh vegetables and dairy products rose sharply, according to a study commissioned by the BBC. The British spent 2020 million pounds (257 million dollars) more on them in 352 than in 2019.
Working from home, the experts also explained that 2 million fewer bottles of body deodorants were sold in the country. But why the toothbrushes sold £ 28 million ($ 38 million) less than a year earlier, experts couldn't understand.
Researchers from the investment group JP Morgan stated abnormal demand for cleaning products for home, kitchens and bathrooms - plus 33% compared to last year. Dishwasher sales increased by 40%, becoming the most popular household appliance of 2020 in the US and Europe.
Hair dye was bought 2020% more often in 30 than in 2019 -
The barber shops were closed for most of the year, and it was just boring.
And, apparently, the main problem of 2020 was the increased use of alcohol. In the US, JP Morgan reported a 40 percent increase in demand for spirits and a 20 percent increase for wine and beer.
In the UK, industry publication The Drink Business is driving even bigger numbers. Increase in purchases of spirits - 64% by 2019, beer and wine - 49%.
Every year, organizations that help fight alcohol addiction declare the so-called dry January in the UK - a month without alcohol as opposed to the festive December.
According to various estimates, from 6 to 10 million inhabitants of the kingdom were going to participate in the action, and after the first week at least a quarter of them admitted that they could not resist.
The Sun tabloid cited data according to which The Drop Store, the country's largest online alcohol store, sold eight times more alcohol in the first 12 days of 2021 than in the same period in 2020.
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Russia saves on everything except sunflower seeds and the New Year
It's more difficult to talk about changed consumer habits in Russia for two reasons. First, significantly fewer such studies have been conducted here. Second, the country has never introduced a full-fledged lockdown, only at the peak of the first wave of coronavirus in April-May, President Vladimir Putin announced a "vacation", while the rules for their implementation in the regions varied significantly.
In April 2020, according to the Romir research holding, Russian citizens sharply reduced their daily expenses - a drop compared to March was 16,6%. This is comparable to the United States, where in the spring citizens began to spend 15% less - due to complete uncertainty.
Russians began to spend more on food and hygiene products - by 3% (according to Romir). The sharp increase in online shopping in stores has prompted more purchases of specialized vehicles for couriers. But the difference with the West still remains large.
According to a survey by the consulting company EY, only 10% of Russians called a trip to the supermarket “extremely uncomfortable”. In the USA, 23% of citizens thought so, in Western Europe - 40%.
Unlike Western countries, the Russian authorities recorded only insignificant demand for alcohol consumption. In the spring, the country's health minister Mikhail Murashko said that demand is increasing by 2-3% evenly across all regions.
In November 2020, the director of the Serbian Institute, Tatyana Klimenko, noted that alcohol consumption was increasing, but she did not provide accurate data.
In general, according to polls by "Romir", 22% of citizens planned to cut spending on cosmetics, 15% - on games and toys, 13% - on body care products.
And according to the research company "Nielsen Russia", with the transition to remote work in stores, the demand for coffee and pastries fell, but the demand for seeds and chips increased sharply, by 31% and 22%, respectively.
But, having survived everything that happened in 2020, the Russians decided to spend record amounts on the 2021 meeting. According to Deloitte, on average, their spending on celebrations increased 25% over the previous year.
Moreover, the share of spending on gifts fell, while spending on the New Year's table increased.
