Shopkick: Consumers ready to return to stores — with caveats

A new survey reveals anxieties and expectations consumers have about shopping in stores as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Once non-essential retailers reopen, 61% of consumers plan to visit apparel, shoe and accessories stores, according to a survey from shopping rewards app Shopkick. Next on the list is beauty stores (50%), followed by home improvement stores (42%), entertainment and hobby stores (39%) and home decor stores (34%). 

Half of respondents say they plan to visit non-essential retailers within a week of reopening, while 20% will wait at least a week before visiting reopened businesses, 18% will wait three days or less, and 12% will wait four to six days. Nineteen percent of respondents plan to wait at least two weeks, while 22% will wait over a month. Once stores reopen, 58% of respondents say they will shop as frequently as before the pandemic, while 36% will shop less frequently. 

In addition, most respondents say they expect non-essential retailers to take additional in-store precautions such as six-feet social distancing measures (81%), offering disinfectants for customers (73%), requiring employees to wear protective face coverings (71%), installing plexiglass barriers at checkout counters (65%), and requiring shoppers to wear protective face coverings (62%). 

Other survey highlights are below.

• Nearly 70% of respondents say they will take advantage of buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) options if available.
•    About two-thirds (65%) of respondents plan to make the majority of their non-essential purchases in-store, rather than online. 
•    When broken down by generation, the largest segment – Gen Zers (27%) – say they will visit brick-and-mortar stores within just three days of reopening.