by Intouch Insight
A recent survey of consumers from across Canada and the United States conducted by Intouch Insight reveals a fundamental shift in the drivers behind shopping and buying patterns. Where loyalty and brand reputation reigned supreme just a few short months ago, findings show that businesses need to re-prioritize safety and cleanliness to ensure their customers return.
Intouch Insight, a leading provider in Customer Experience Management software and services, launched this study to help their customers, as well as businesses at large better understand how to adapt in a post-COVID-19 world. “It’s no surprise that cleanliness has risen in importance in the minds of consumers,” says Erin Fenn, Executive Vice President at Intouch Insight. “What is surprising is how significantly factors like quality, price and staff friendliness dropped in driving in-store buying decisions.”
Key findings from the study:
- 4% said that cleanliness was extremely or very important when it came to making the decision to purchase in-store, above quality, speed, price and friendliness.
- 45% of respondents said that improved cleanliness and sanitation is the number one change they want to see businesses make in the face of future waves of COVID-19, followed by better online ordering and limiting in-store traffic at 17% each.
- 52% of respondents have said that online purchases have increased, whereas in-store purchases have decreased across the board at grocery stores, pharmacy/drug stores, big box stores and convenience stores/gas stations.
“As businesses pivot to figure out what COVID-19 means for their operations, having access to consumer insights can help to inform some of that decision-making process,” adds Fenn. The full report, which covers the key findings above as well as a wealth of other insights into what consumers will be expecting moving forward, is available for download here: go.intouchinsight.com/consumer_beh_survey_report_2020/.
Intouch Insight will be releasing subsequent reports covering specific industry verticals, like food and beverage, as well as deep dives into key data points. For more information, please contact Sarah Beckett at sbeckett@intouchinsight.com.
Intouch Insight offers a complete portfolio of customer experience management (CEM) products and services that help global brands delight their customers, strengthen brand reputation and improve financial performance. Through its flagship SaaS product, LiaCXTM, Intouch helps clients collect and centralize data from multiple customer touch points, gives them actionable, real-time insights, and provides them with the tools to continuously improve customer experience. Founded in 1992, Intouch is trusted by over 300 of North America’s most-loved brands for their customer experience management, customer survey, mystery shopping, mobile forms, operational and compliance audits, and event marketing automation solutions. For more information, visit intouchinsight.com.