The Covid Catalyst and other consumer trends

Back in March and April, the Quickfire team got their collective heads together (remotely, of course) to uncover what was hot and what was not as the UK got to grips with the Covid-19 lockdown.

Using Google Trends, we produced a series of articles which discovered that businesses were turning to e-commerce solutions with sharp increases in online searches for platforms such as Shopify and Woocommerce, the use of video conferencing was on the rise and parents were looking for anything they could think of to entertain children forced out of the school classroom.

A few months on and the nation has navigated a nervous path through the choppy coronavirus waters, shops have reopened, the e-commerce industry continues to prosper and schools once again opened their doors albeit with limited numbers.

So what do some of those trends look like now? Have our habits reverted to pre-pandemic times or are we still stocking up on toilet rolls and becoming comfortable with spending more time at home?

E-commerce: The Covid Catalyst

Online sales now stand at nearly a third of all sales, according to the June 2020 figures released by Office of National Statistics - and this is after physical stores have reopened. E-commerce has never had it so good and, while it has been growing consistently for years now, it has benefited from the increased time consumers are spending at home - something we call The Covid Catalyst.

Businesses are having to adapt to this accelerated shift in consumer behaviour and the desire for e-commerce solutions remains high, although search interest has dipped slightly since the peak in May and June for Shopify and Woocommerce, respectively.

Comparing the two, it is clear that Shopify has become the platform of choice for the majority, widening the pre-lockdown gap between the competitors. 

Back at the end of March, we spotted a significant drop in interest for digital marketing, suggesting that businesses had swiftly looked to tighten budgets, but the desire for online strategies is back on the boardroom agenda and digital marketing is again increasing in popularity.

The continuing increase in interest in e-commerce platforms and associated marketing confirms the ongoing business shift to meet rising online consumer demand.

To be in the office or not to be? That is a question

Lockdown brought the challenge for businesses to think about how they served customers but also how staff members worked, collaborated with colleagues and dealt with clients.

Searches for home working shot up and while they have dipped since the peak in the third week of March, they remain significantly higher than previous levels. 

Depending on your viewpoint and preference, the challenge or benefit of working from home isn’t one which is vanishing at any point soon - only time will tell how businesses choose to encourage or discourage this option for staff.

As we sought solutions to stay in touch with colleagues - and friends and family - in the springtime, we turned to the likes of Zoom and Google Meet for their video-calling capabilities. Interestingly, the search interest for both has dropped heavily but this could suggest that we’ve found what we’re looking for and are now comfortable with the technology.

Booze, bog rolls and barnets

Remember the time when we were frantically searching for toilet roll, asking partners for haircuts and turning to alcohol to get us through spending more time with the family? Well, what, if anything, has changed?

Thankfully, the loo roll shelves are fully stocked again and our demand is back where it once was.

As for needing a trim, we’re either happy with the hair clippers we bought or we’re relishing the return to the barbers.

And our need for home-delivered booze has also diminished, while the need for takeaway food to be brought to the door has also taken a dip.

Will someone please think of the children?

Joe Wicks’ YouTube PE lessons became an overnight phenomenon at the start of lockdown as enthusiastic parents encouraged children to take their daily dose of exercise - but the evidence shows that this was short-lived.

Mums and dads frantically sought ways to keep the kids happy as they battled with home-working and home-schooling commitments. Trampolines and toys became must-haves for the garden but the interest has cooled.

We also gained a renewed interest in finally getting to those jobs around the house but, again, this has dipped although it remains higher than pre-lockdown levels.

Finally, one of the favourite things we learned about our lockdown living was our desire to learn a new language, with Spanish leading the way. 

The result? We’ve either become fluent in super-quick time or we just couldn’t get to grips with it. 

Hasta la vista, baby.