The impact of COVID on the consumer

A Barclays-funded study of English consumers reveals some interesting details about the impact of COVID. Not surprisingly, we learn that 30% of consumers now pay more attention to their food than they did a year ago. Similarly, 25% are paying more attention to the products they buy in the area of personal health and home care. This renewed interest is most pronounced among young, middle-class women consumers. We also learn that consumers are more inclined to try new brands; perhaps due to the fact that their favourite brand was no longer immediately available. Reassuringly, 80% of consumers wash their hands more often than they did a year ago. And not surprisingly, it was makeup products that suffered a significant drop in sales during the containment period. But English consumers do not expect to change their behavior in the long term, as they plan to buy again more makeup post-COVID.