How consumption changed
A lot is said these days about how the market of retail real estate is not going to be the same again, as much as how much consumes are going to change their habits. These theories are up for a test, yet some of these habits are here now to work with. Nielsen reports that interestingly 34% of Russian shoppers with an online history during the coronavirus lockdown had not bought anything in the internet before that period.
McKinsey analysts say in their report on digital transformation of retail that within just one year the society has made a 10-year leap in terms of introduction of digital technologies. They do mean the American market though, while the Russian one is going on through the same processes. Nielsen says that the consideration for a shopping location is changing. People go out to a brick-and-mortar shop for the sake of leaving the house or going for a walk. As for online shopping, it is preferred because of the bigger selection, as well as saving time in general and saving time on queueing. According to a research carried out by Yandex.Vzglyad, 56–75% are not going to bring down their online shopping even after the lockdown is over.
Meanwhile, a quarter of respondents in Nielsen’s survey in Russia said, that the pandemic did hit their budget, and the macroeconomics of the country has additionally affected the consumers’ spending, all of this is going to be reflected in the sales of day-to-day goods both for short-term and middle-term. The share of supermarkets’ brands in a basket as well as discounters and promotional offers has been growing.
So, 2021 is to keep on developing online formats for sales, while consumers will be trying to cut down costs and stay safe and protected.
Text by Ekaterina Sakharova