39 percent of global consumers purchased from new brands during quarantine

According to the press release, the pandemic has forced consumers in the US to explore alternative brands and shopping methods, branching into ecommerce or trying out new products as product availability became scarce. More than 51% of US consumers purchased from a different brand than usual or a brand they had never heard of before. 

Besides, there were significant differences in purchasing behaviours among the generations, with some being more adventurous than others. When it came to purchasing from different brands in this period, nearly seven in ten of 35-44-year old consumers tested out new product options, compared to only 32% of those over the age of 65. However, 83% of all US shoppers plan to continue to buy from the newly discovered brand they discovered amid the pandemic. 

The ‘Behavior that Sticks’ report includes insights about shopping habits from more than 8,000 consumers across the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia, and explores the trends likely to continue post quarantine. When reviewing the behaviours that stick across the globe, there are key trends about shopping behaviours that resonated specifically with US shoppers: subscription services are on the rise, digital savviness is increasing among consumers, and social commerce and a sense of community will continue to play a role in the customer and brand relationship.

Moreover, due to a higher demand for specific products during the early stages of the pandemic, 1 in 4 US consumers turned to subscription services to make it through quarantine. Similarly the purchasing of new brands, once tried and tested, 85% will continue to pay for their subscription post lockdown, citing confidence in the product quality (48%), ease (48%) and regular and reliable delivery (38%). Ease was a major factor for continuation of subscription services for those between 55 and 75 years old and regular and reliable delivery was a key benefit for 73% of shoppers over the age of 65.