Ubimo surveyed 1000 people in the US to assess changing shopping behavior during covid.

Key Findings:

• Retailer loyalty has strengthened among millennial and Gen Z in-store shoppers
• In-store shopping gets a revamp: consumers go quickly and with a plan
• Relevant and timely messaging remains key for consumers

Retailer loyalty has strengthened among millennial and Gen Z in-store shoppers

In-person shopping never left, but it is stronger than ever. While 90% of respondents cited leaving their home at least once a week to go shopping (specifically, to the pharmacy or grocery store) in August 2020, 95% of shoppers responded that they’re headed out to shop at least once a week now. What’s more, nearly 1/3 of respondents (31%) said they make more trips presently than they did at the height of the pandemic.

As consumers return to stores, 88% of shoppers say they usually visit the same store to replenish goods purchased there. This number is up 5% compared to the height of the pandemic, but the real differences is in who those same-store shoppers are. When surveyed in August 2020, the age group most likely to visit the same store was Baby Boomers, with 86% typically visiting the same store. As pandemic conditions have improved, 25-44 year olds (90% of 35-44 year olds and 89% of 25-34 year olds) reported always or usually visiting the same store.

With more people shopping in-store and critical age groups showcasing loyalty to specific stores, the opportunity is prime for retailers to build relationships with their shoppers – out-of-home (OOH) advertising is a great way to do that.

Consumers are now more aware of OOH advertising, with 73% of consumers having reported noticing OOH advertising during their shopping trips and 43% of those shoppers stating that they notice OOH advertising more than they did at the height of the pandemic. Next to outdoor billboards, in-store OOH that can be found within grocery or convenience stores were cited by 55% of shoppers as most memorable. With consumers visiting stores multiple times and being more cognizant of OOH advertisements, retailers are in a prime position to form strong consumer relationships and foster deeper engagement.

In-store shopping gets a revamp: consumers go quickly and with a plan

It’s not just the frequency of shopping trips that has changed; the way consumers shop during the pandemic has changed drastically inclusive of ecommerce, but also when it comes to in-store shopping, alone. As an example, 53% of shoppers said the way they shop has changed throughout the pandemic, with 43% stating that they now shop much more quickly. In order to accomplish these faster shopping trips, more consumers are planning ahead, with 91% of shoppers going to the store with a specific plan in mind.

But even for the most avid planners, there is plenty of potential for influence. Overall, consumers are also more likely to purchase products after seeing them in OOH advertisements. Nearly 2/3 of shoppers (61%) are likely to purchase a product after seeing it in an OOH advertisement, and millennials are among those most highly influenced by this type of advertisement, with 92% extremely likely to purchase a product after seeing an OOH ad, compared to 77% for Gen Z. In sum, OOH creates a strong opportunity for advertisers to capture attention in moments of high intent and drive consumers to purchase.

Relevant and timely messaging remains key for consumers

Relevant and timely messaging is more important than ever. Overall, 80% of consumers think brand messaging is important, particularly in consideration of the realities of COVID-19 within the consumer’s community. Compared to August of 2020, there was a 17% increase in consumers who believe that messaging is important, and a 22% increase in respondents who believe messaging is extremely important, indicating that the message is more important now than ever before. Messaging is most critical among audiences with solid spending power, with 79% of Xennials and 76% of Gen Xers considering the message extremely important, compared to lower numbers in other generational cohorts.

With 43% of consumers reporting that they recognize OOH advertising more than during the pandemic and 42% of consumers reported noticing it equally as often as during the pandemic, it’s critical that brands get the message right. This statistic is incredibly advantageous to digital out-of-home advertising in particular, as digital advertising has the agility and speed to update relevant messaging as necessary. Based on the high level of importance placed on messaging, if brands are successful in creating relevant messaging, they’ll likely experience positive reception from consumers.

Methodology: Ubimo conducted a survey of over 1,000 respondents across various age groups in the United States via Pollfish in June 2021 to assess changing consumer shopping behavior during the pandemic.

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