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Tracing Consumer Behaviour Changes Post-Pandemic in 2024

COVID-19 took the world for a toss as so many lives got disrupted by it, with every new day bringing new challenges and solutions. This led to a drastic change in each individual's lifestyle, which paved the way for a shift in consumer behavior. People had to retrace their priorities, consumption, and spending habits in all spheres of life. Although this phase lasted for 2 years, its impact can be seen to date, which has served as a tectonic shift in many aspects of the way of life.

Though researchers are unsure whether a behavior is long-term or short-term, some have concurrently stuck around while others have faded into oblivion. While habit-forming takes time to get into the system, in a grave situation like the coronavirus, the habit-forming skills of affected people went into overdrive, which has significantly impacted the general lifestyle changes experienced by all. Here are some of the consumer behaviors that have stood out the most.

 

A Gala Time Shopping Online

With the population of most countries stuck in the four walls of their homes, online shopping skyrocketed since going to a brick-and-mortar store wasn't an option. Companies also had to devise clever ways to sell their products online and get more traffic on their website. With people spending more time on their phones and social media apps, they were incentivized to shop online; this led to a surge in people buying online for the first time in 2020. Subsequently, 94% of new digital service users have continued to shop online after the pandemic. With a plethora of options at the fingertips of the users, it served as a time-saving, convenient, and cost-effective way of shopping.

 

Rise in the Scope of Online Learning

With free time at hand, many people sought to hone their skills in the meantime. It was reported that the phrase 'How To' saw a dramatic rise, with over a 10% rise in the search volume on various search engines. With the ease of sitting in bed or any other comfortable place at home, with new interactive tools at play, people found it really informative to learn online. Now, an estimated 32% rise is projected for the e-learning market industry in the coming years. Since the schools were shut and the only mode of studying was virtual, many new modes of studying quickly sprung up, especially with Gen Z, who also started taking tutorials from YouTube videos to grasp concepts beyond the school curriculum.

 

Whipping Delicious Meals at Home

It is often said that good food equates to a good life. With ample time to spare and food delivery not readily available, people used this opportunity to make new recipes and try them at home. From noodles to banana bread, so many varieties of recipes popped up in everyone's feed, which was really tempting to try. Many people felt that cooking delicious food at home was cost-effective as well. Some companies used this opportunity to make ready-to-eat sauces, dips, and other condiments to make cooking at home a delectable breeze. In light of this, it was noted that around that time, 47% of Southeast Asia purchased groceries online for the very first time.

 

A Stress on Healthy Food Habits

With hoards of people getting sick and increasing stress on eating healthy and exercising to maintain a good lifestyle, people started focusing on reading the labels, experimenting with their food habits, and generally having different approaches toward food. Many smaller companies started giving a challenge to pre-existing food companies by launching products with more transparency and a focus on using good ingredients. Cooking kits also became famous, and a wave of greater emphasis on adding protein to the diet gained momentum.

 

A Renewed Focus on Supporting Mental Health

Mental health, which had long been a taboo, is coming out of the shadows. Just like any other health ailment, having good mental peace and health became the top priority for most. With lockdowns in place everywhere, people started experiencing bouts of loneliness, depression, and anxiety with the unforeseen future and the deadly risks of the coronavirus. For this, many support groups came into being, and brands saw this as an opportunity to build communities and apps to address this rising issue. Online consultation saw a massive upward trend, which is still continuing to rise.

 

Vocal for Local

As many businesses were dwindling due to restrictions and people were saving more, many governments urged people to shop locally to help their community and businesses thrive or at least stay afloat in these times of distress. People quickly realized that buying local was convenient and cost-effective while accomplishing a sense of pride that they were supporting local businesses. Countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia saw very good results in terms of this.

 

Watching and Streaming Online Content

Entertainment is the spice of life, and this rings true since so many entertainment platforms saw millions of new users streaming content online. While convenient and cheaper, these platforms have loads of options for all types of audiences, moods, and likes. In this context, South Korean music sensation BTS even had an online performance that became the most live-streamed concert in the world, with almost 8 lakh people tuning in from 100 countries. Stand-up comedy videos also saw a spike in interest as people wanted to switch the despondent days with a dose of humor.

 

Conclusion

While there can be no guarantee that these consumer patterns will stick for a long time, they have surely made a huge impact on the world and human psychological patterns. Now, businesses are seeing this as a new opportunity to grow their brands in this direction, and rightly so since this is our world right now!