“When life was taking a normal shape, a sudden upsurge came as a wildfire in the nation”, calling it as second wave of coronavirus infection.
Falling light on the last year, on 18th of June 2020, India has recorded 11,000 cases and then 35,000 new cases were increased daily on an average basis. After 8 months or so, on 11th February 2021, India recorded the same 11,000 cases, and Since April 2021, India has been witnessing a hike in Covid-19, as the nation is seeing over 3 lakh fresh cases on a daily basis. This leads to a lack of oxygen supplies and a shortage of beds in hospitals which apparently caused a lot of panic among people.
This hike in Covid-19 cases has also altered consumer preferences and shifted them towards the concern of health and economic crisis. This shows the challenge to ‘restart’ the economy once again.
With that being said, check out how the second wave of coronavirus infection is affecting consumer behavior:
Adapting Digital Services
From students to homeowners, everyone these days are adapting digital services in some or the other way. There is a return of positive growth in digital business services in 2021, as whether it is about shopping online or attending art classes, an overall drift is observed. People these days are working differently, buying things differently, communicating differently and learning to live their life virtually – just for the safe future.
Shift in Shopping Pattern of Consumers
It has changed immensely in the past 1 year. People have practiced this pattern in the first wave and now they are fully adopting it. They now know what to buy and what not. They are now more believing in buying value-added products and shifting towards local brands rather than foreign companies. According to the latest report, 75% of consumers buy hygienic and health-related products compared to other items. People are now smartly shifting their ways towards sustainability.
Getting Back to Basic Needs
In this tough time, everyone is trying hard to stay themselves away from the virus. Taking care of personal health is becoming the top most priority of everyone. People are grasping the stress reliving exercises, doing yoga at home, listening to soft music and everything they can to boost up their energy level and maintain fitness. As per the research, it proves consumers are very much focused on their most basic needs at present.
Health Awareness in Consumers
This sudden hike in covid-19 has also raised the awareness of health among people. The most significant change in behavior is that people are now wearing masks and washing hands regularly.
According to the research, before pandemic, consumers used to wash their hands about 6 times a day. And, during the pandemic, they are washing an average of 12 times a day—So, we can see there is just a double enhancement in this. Through this, we can expect such changes to present new opportunities for personal hygiene offerings in the future as well.
On the other hand, people are now more focused towards eating fresh food instead of ordering food from restaurants or cafes.
Connecting Virtually
Seeing faces of your friends or family members in a realistic world or virtuals offers happiness. This crisis has altered the way people connect with each other earlier. Slowly and gradually, people are now adapting to new technologies and ways to be in touch with their closed ones. As per the reports, there is also positive evidence that this crisis will build communities rather than separating them.
Changes in Attitude
There is a shift in the attitude of people as well and it depends on the number of cases. When they see the headlines about the increase of virus in world, they get worried and it is normal. A human reacts differently in a different situation. It is natural to get worry and anxious when we hear some bad news. Hence, consumer attitude changes as the pandemic progresses and it will give a different picture when everything becomes normal.
We have to believe in the fact that every cloud has a silver lining. We, as humans, together have to fight the crisis by staying united and following basic health and hygiene guidelines given by the Government and WHO of India. Don’t worry as this shall too pass!
The author is Lokendra Ranawat, Co-Founder & CEO, WoodenStreet