Consumers will minimize in-store shopping for the holidays to lessen the risks to workers, according to a new survey by Accenture.
Findings show that people will opt for smaller gatherings and patronizing retailers that share similar values during the coronavirus pandemic. Accenture asked over 1,500 US consumers in August.
Most of the respondents (61%) said they will avoid in-store shopping to minimize health risks to essential workers.
The same figure stressed their interest in companies that uphold health, safety, and hygiene during these times.
Meanwhile, over 40% admitted they do not prefer retailers that have laid off workers or deducted employees’ benefits due to the outbreak.
More than three-quarters of respondents said they prefer retailers to close on Thanksgiving Day so workers can rest and be with their families.
Jill Standish, who leads Accenture’s retail practice, explained that the coronavirus pandemic has made Americans reflect on the season. People would reorganize their houses as they work at the kitchen table or assist their kids with online learning.
Standish pointed out that the changes have deepened people’s empathy for their neighbors, colleagues, and even strangers who work at the store.
“We’ve all been in lockdown, and with our families, and school and home and work all collide,” she noted. “Holiday is just another extension of that. And yet it’s made us all a little bit more tolerant, a little bit more human.”
Moreover, about 40% of consumers said they were not looking forward to the holiday season due to Covid-19 while 35% said they were not looking forward to the holiday season because of grieving a loved one or being away from family and friends.
Almost 1 in 4 respondents admitted they will reduce holiday spending because it has been a rough year in general and 22% said Covid-19 made their finances less secure.
“It’s not just about the product,” Standish said. “It’s about who’s behind the product and what’s the persona of that brand and does it stand for what I believe in.”
Nearly 4 in 10 consumers said they plan to support minority-owned businesses and the same number said they will choose retailers that acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement.
Standish noted that consumers find it easy to act upon their values when they search for gifts online.
“It’s obvious who’s really being righteous and who’s doing the right thing,” she said. “When consumers have a choice and they’re shopping online and it’s a product that’s available from other retailers, then they have the ability to go shift. They can compare. They can shop somewhere else. So the transparency is like no other and the authenticity is like no other this holiday.”
Retail jobs
Retail jobs are also going through changes as store closures take place everywhere due to the coronavirus pandemic, while others remain at risk.
Retail jobs are described as more vulnerable than ever as several retailers have already filed for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, an increasing number of customers prefer to shop online instead of in-store shopping and receive their orders through curbside pickup or house delivery. This led to a high demand for people to pick and pack items.
According to the National Retail Federation, more than one in four American jobs were supported by the retail industry before the US faced the coronavirus crisis. This made retail the most thriving private sector-employer in the country. This figure involves people who work directly for a retailer, like at a clothing store, coffee shop, or warehouse. It also includes jobs produced by the industry, such as construction workers building a mall.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the number of workers in stores has been reduced. Around 15.7 million were employed by retailers in February. This figure declined by about 2.4 million in March and April. There was a recovery in May and June as stores started to reopen. As of June, there are around 14.4 million employees in the retail sector.
