Small local grocery stores and online retailers are likely to benefit from lasting changes in purchasing habits after a year of Covid-19 restrictions, according to a report a year later from the first lockout.
More than nine in 10 people who have bought locally say they will continue to do so, a study by Barclaycard found.
Nearly two-thirds of UK consumers have opted to buy closer to home in the past year, leading to a 63% increase in consumption at specialist food and drink stores such as butchers, bakers and greengrocers last month, the debit and credit card operator said.
Neighborhood sources have been boosted by the move to work from home and have strengthened interest in supporting businesses that have kept communities going through difficult times.
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However, the trend for online shopping is also expected to continue, which has put pressure on high street and city center retailers across the country.
Customers have received two additional deliveries per month since March 2020 plus an average of five before the pandemic. Half of consumers are expected to continue that number at least in the future, with 10% expecting to order more.
Movements for online grocery purchases, DIY food parcels and concierge-style services are expected, where clothes are delivered home to be tried by the courier waiting for unwanted items recovery, out of the restrictions introduced because of the pandemic.
Tom Cheesewright, advisor on future trends, said: “An echo of this pandemic can be heard long after a lock has been lifted through a steady shift in our purchasing habits. The changes we had planned to take place over ten years are squeezed into a year. ”