North America’s four major online consumption habits: 83% of people pay more attention to health

The latest report from food and health discovery platform Social Nature surveyed 5,400 online consumers from the United States and Canada and revealed four consumer trends and changes in shopping habits.

1. Consumers are more health- conscious

When it comes to health, 83% of consumers are more proactive than they were a year ago. Their top goals include eating healthier, increasing exercise and fitness, reducing stress and restoring their emotional balance.

Habits formed by the pandemic will continue, most notably preparing more meals at home, taking more preventative health measures, and purchasing immune health supplements , which provides opportunities for health products such as vitamin C that boost the immune system .

After the pandemic , consumers will also want to continue shopping online, work from home at least part of the time, and support local businesses. At the same time, reading labels more carefully will become a habit, with consumers paying more attention to sugar content, processed foods, sodium, and other key markers.

2. Plant-based diets will become mainstream

A plant-based diet is a diet based on plant foods and contains no animal foods or very little meat . It is different from a vegan diet. In general, Social Nature found that consumers are reducing their consumption of animal products.

Nearly a quarter plan to eat less meat in the future, and nearly a fifth plan to reduce their dairy intake . Nearly three-quarters of consumers currently purchase plant-based alternatives, most commonly milk, beef and chicken alternatives, as such products gain traction in the dietary space and go mainstream.

The opportunity here for brands is to educate consumers on how a plant-based diet can help them achieve their health goals , and to provide education and support to those consumers who are new to the space .

3. DTC brands will see more growth

It’s clear that during the pandemic , in-store shopping has decreased, but this will be a trend that persists post-pandemic.

As of January 2021, U.S. consumers were buying groceries in stores just 1.5 times per week, compared to 2.5 times per week before the pandemic . Meanwhile, 68% of U.S. respondents buy groceries online ( a 108% increase from last year ) , with Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Target.com being their top destinations .

Still, Social Nature reports that there’s room for brands to offer more direct-to-consumer online shopping services. Nearly 40% of respondents said they have trouble finding the products they want through online retailers, and about 30% said they’d rather support the brand and its mission directly anyway. The top motivators included free shipping, shopper benefits, trust and reliability ( secure payment, reliable delivery ) , and product availability.

4. Purchases of emerging products will increase

About 80% of consumers purchased a new product in the past month. The top categories included personal care items such as natural shampoo and deodorant, plant-based meat and chicken alternatives, plant-based milk and butter, and cleaning products.

To convert new consumers into brand loyalists, Social Nature recommends focusing on brand purpose and product sustainability, as 29% of consumers say these attributes would keep them coming back for more.

North America

E-commerce

healthy

Sustainable