Why Your Brand Needs to Care About Shopper Insights

How to make sure you’re reaching your target audiences the right way in our new shopping world

Each week since the onset of the pandemic, my organization has conducted studies into the intricacies of shopper behavior. Our data shows that one thing is clear: The world of shopping has undergone tremendous change during the past year with immediate, notable shifts since March. Due to the restrictions, closures and health concerns stemming from the virus, people have been forced to turn to online shopping for all essentials. 

The continued shift to e-commerce was especially prevalent during 2020’s holiday shopping season, when 71% of our ongoing study respondents said they planned to do all of their shopping online only. And online shopping preferences for essential items are projected to continue into 2021—25% of our study participants predict they will continue to order their groceries online this year.

Procuring practical basics isn’t the only thing driving purchasing behavior. Social isolation is also playing a role in how people are shopping online, and there has been a rise in “retail therapy” (after initial panic-purchasing). As people seek comfort from the online shopping environment, they have different priorities for the online shopping they are doing.

Ken Roshkoff

Ken Roshkoff is president of AMC Global, an international custom market research firm specializing in launch strategies.