How the UK consumer is feeling as we go into week 2 of isolation.

QuMind communities share how the UK consumer is feeling as we go into week 2 of isolation.

In our latest snapshot of how the UK consumer is feeling we can see with the second week in isolation the consumers are doing their best to make ends meet and tackle those jobs put on hold during the winter.

There is a real concern overall about household finance which is encouraging people to be more creative and more conscious of waste. One area that this is most evident is cooking where dishes are created from what’s in the cupboard, freezer or using leftovers. The more adventurous are baking their own bread. Batch cooking or cooking larger portions that can be used the next day reduce costs and waste. It’s also encouraging to see how people are doing their best to make the most of their time at home by staying fit, improving their homes and finding online activities to keep busy while at the same time saving money.

How spending patterns are changing…..

Focus has been predominantly on food with shoppers buying more frozen and canned items in preparation for long periods of isolation. Spend on food has increased for some, as choice of brands is limited or having to buy from smaller, local shops to avoid contact. To counteract that, the social restrictions mean less is spent on going out so saving on fuel, coffees, lunches, meals and other public entertainment. Not having to pay some bills and cancelling newspaper subscriptions have also helped reduce costs.

So what are people now buying ……

As we shift to a more insular environment, spending is now directed towards in-home entertainment and activities. In the last week 38% have spent money on takeaways, 37% on subscription TV, 10% renting movies and 9% online gaming “I’ve added Netflix to have something as a distraction”. Some are taking the opportunity to redecorate their homes or do a spot of painting. “I’ve paid more for fence paint for my dad as he wants to do some stuff around the house to keep him busy”. “I have bought 3 different colours of paint and I am painting the panels in different colours of the rainbow”. The changing weather is also prompting the need for gardening so purchases of compost and plants are significantly up. To keep the kids busy colouring in books, puzzles and games have been bought and to maintain fitness levels, gym equipment and even basketball stand and nets!

Online shopping categories have broadened to now include toiletry items, vitamins, herbal medicines and even cat food from Amazon.

So we are now starting to get real change and as time moves on we will be tracking these trends to see how life is changing and what will be the new norm post Covid-19.

If you want to delve further into these trends please contact [email protected].

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