48% of American consumers are stockpiling necessities, with toiletries being the most popular

In the United States, consumers gradually turned to online shopping due to the epidemic, and many households began to stock up in large quantities during this period. Although it has been a year since the beginning of the pandemic, some shopping behaviors are still continuing.

According to Chain Store Age , based on the latest survey of more than 10,000 American consumers by shopping rewards app Shopkick, 57% of respondents said the pandemic continues to affect the way they shop.

The survey showed that nearly half , or 48%, of consumers said they were stockpiling basic necessities , a slight increase from 47% in 2020.

Similar to trends in 2020, when it comes to stocking up on essentials , respondents’ favorite product categories include toiletries ( 90 % ) , food and water ( 79% ) , cleaning supplies ( 76% ) , hand sanitizer ( 72% ) , medicine and medical supplies ( 53% ) , and pet supplies ( 34% ) .

Additionally, 56% of respondents said they are spending about the same on necessities now as they did a year ago, and 35% said they are actually spending more on necessities .

More than two-thirds , or 68%, of respondents said the pandemic had made them more conscious consumers . Two-thirds, or 65%, now support local or small businesses when possible, while nearly four in 10, or 39%, are researching the values ​​and practices of businesses to ensure they align with their personal beliefs .

Nearly 100% of respondents noticed household essentials were out of stock on store shelves in March 2020. Now , that number has shrunk to 77% , but the hardest-to-get items still include pandemic essentials like cleaning supplies, toiletries, and hand sanitizer.

Now, online shopping is continuing to pick up , with 51% of respondents saying they are shopping online more frequently now than at the start of the pandemic , and 84% planning to continue shopping online in the future .

The survey also found that consumers generally have low brand loyalty. In March 2020 , 85% of respondents said they didn't care about brand names . Now, this proportion has dropped, with 61% of respondents saying that brands don't matter when they make purchasing decisions .

Therefore, online shopping will become more and more popular. Although consumers' brand loyalty is constantly increasing, establishing brand loyalty is still a major challenge for companies /brands.

Stock up

Toiletries

USA

E-commerce