Effects of Covid-19: Half of consumers now prioritise availability over quality or price

As Covid-19 continues to cause shifts in shopping behaviours due to
store closures and product shortages, new data reveals that one in two
consumers are now prioritising availability over quality, price or brand
when making purchases.

Shoppers now prioritise availability, then price, then quality, whereas
before the pandemic they prioritised quality, then price, then brand.

That’s according to data from digital marketing firm Bazaarvoice and
product discovery and reviews platform Influenster based on a survey of
3,351 international Influenster members.

The survey also found that 79 percent of consumers either agree or
strongly agree that their shopping behaviour has changed due to the
pandemic, with 41 percent now shopping online for items they would usually
buy in physical stores.

Thirty-three percent of consumers are now buying more products online
than they usually do, with skincare and cosmetics products making up 82
percent of those purchases.

Half (52 percent) of consumers are now reading more reviews online.

Suzin Wold, senior vice president of marketing at Bazaarvoice, commented
in the report: “This data shows how important it is for retailers to be
responsive to shifting consumer preferences – with availability and price
more important than ever, while quality and brand have become less of a
concern. The retail sector can step up by providing clear and accurate
information that properly meets shoppers’ changing requirements and
priorities, particularly as more than half of consumers are now
increasingly reading reviews online.

“It’s important that retailers understand these shifts on an ongoing
basis – with more consumers planning to return to their usual shopping
habits once the pandemic is over than planning to stick with their current
shopping behaviours, retailers need to ensure they are adequately
responding to the current moment while also planning ahead in order to
adapt as soon as the pandemic subsides.”

Photo: Pixabay, courtesy of Ecommerce Foundation

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