No one could have foreseen the magnitude of Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on people’s everyday life, the economy and countries’ regulations. Times are undeniably difficult for people as well as businesses and anxiety has been booming. However in all situations, even the hardest ones, positive outcomes can be found.

Indeed, it is part of the human nature to find ways to survive and adapt to new circumstances as best as possible. And if anything, this crisis has forced us, consumers and brands alike, to reassess what is important and how to live in this new paradigm. 

Consuming habits have not radically changed since confinement but trends that were already pre-existing are more dominant now. 

For instance, local consumption is something that many were applying before Covid-19 appeared. This habit to favor local product-buying was born out of a desire to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When food is concerned, the consumption of local, seasonal products reduces imports and their corresponding transportation and packaging needs. With the current situation, local consumption becomes more of a practical but also social act. It supports businesses in the area where people live while respecting safety measures by limiting travels. As a result companies came up with ideas to encourage this trend, like creating vouchers, coupons and others loyalty programs at a local level. 

The second attitude that gained momentum with the crisis, is again linked to ecology. We can observe a stronger ecological awakening. Covid-19 has stressed the role humans play in environmental degradation and highlight the link between pandemics and ecosystem degradation.  Consumers ask more from brands, they want transparency in the production process, ingredient sourcing and packaging production. Likewise, brands are shifting their approach making it a priority to become sustainable and to communicate it appropriately, such as Kao Kirei Lifestyle plan or REN infinity recycling tech. If anything, the pandemic has accelerated this movement.

Finally, being confined at home and most shops being closed, a spur in digital shopping has occurred. Brands which were already digitally ready with e-commerces, apps and social media presences had a big head-start. Still, they realized that consumers were looking for more than just buying products. Many online shoppers were disappointed and found the experience less satisfying than visiting a physical store. Thus brands will have to invest in digital experiential solutions, using AR for instance, to satisfy consumers.   

The pandemic will undoubtably have impacted people’s view of consumption but also brands’ relation to consumers. It will be interesting to witness how these trends will evolve and the innovations that will surely appear in these new times. 

If you want to learn more about trends and innovative ideas from around the world, feel free to contact us !