COVID-19 has had a true shock effect on consumers and shopper behavior. Lockdown policies disrupted trusted shopping routines, leading to a massive reduction in touch points and less time in stores.
At the same time, home has become the new hub, serving as office, school, restaurant, and holiday destination at the same time.
As a result, two in three consumers across Europe reported behavior change in their daily routine, with 28% even strongly doing so. In Italy, nearly 48% strongly changed their behavior regarding grocery shopping, health & well-being, meal preparation, work situation, and more.
As routines shifted, and some to last, shopper recruitment is as essential as ever for brands and retailers alike. The reduction of ‘face time’ at the point of sale puts severe pressure on alternative means to communicate product benefits.”
However, the COVID crisis not only resulted in “shock waves” of behavior change, it also accelerated behavior changes that were already taking place. What is of great value to all players in the FMCG market in "normal" times, is of undeniably even greater relevance in times of crisis to bring foresight on both the constants of change and lasting shocks.
The 2021 GfK study on Consumer Behavior Change identified 5 major forces defining the future FMCG landscape:
This whitepaper explores the major denominators that are and will be impacting behavior change in these pivotal times. In addition, we asked market players from various backgrounds, but with equally game-changing potential, to provide their expert views on how they anticipate these changing consumer behaviors to impact their daily business.
