Your Pandemic Shopping Habit Might Be A Coping Mechanism
The onset of the novel coronavirus break down in the early months of 2020 has brought in a lot of changes in our lives which are all here to stay. We have started looking at life a little more differently because of the lessons that Covid has taught us. In the early stages of Covid spread all over the world and when it was declared that it is a pandemic situation, it caused a lot of panic in all sectors of the society, be it the low class, the middle class or even the high class. Everybody looked to protect their families and themselves and most importantly stock up everything at home in order to lead the lock down life without any issues. A lot of industries surely have taken a hit during the pandemic, however, if there is one industry that has only doubled its profits because of the onset of Coronavirus in our lives, it has to be the shopping industry. Several analyses have been carried out on the economic data derived from sales since the year 2020 and the scenario is definitely very dramatic as it has impacted individuals heavily on their spending levels.
Online shopping has certainly become popular in the past couple of years however the growth that the online shopping industry experienced in the year 2020 was nothing like any industry had seen before. Around 70% of the entire world’s population were shopping online and now they did it even prior to the different Covid waves that were to hit the country.
The rise of tea retail is here to stay even after people have started getting double vaccinations all over the world. And by the end of 2023 the e-commerce retail sales is said to surpass almost $800 billion according to certain data that is derived from various studies.
However, it would surprise you to know about this one interesting fact when it comes to eating retail. In spite of shopping so much Online, it has not affected our bank account balances of the last 2-3 years of Covid. And more importantly it has actually helped her emotional well-being in these tough times. Let us understand how online shopping has impacted our mental health and how it has become a coping mechanism for us. Read on.
Impulse shopping is all about — buying to feel better!
It is very important for us to understand the difference at least between holding essentials before lock down or panic buying when compared to impulsive buying during a particular pandemic like coronavirus. Ending up buying extra groceries is one thing and stocking up is another. And during Covid, people naturally push themselves to splurge on buying items during the lockdowns that they don’t even need. The study that was conducted showed how many e-commerce sites reported that though there was a rise in sales of sanitisers, hand wash, and masks — there has also been a very sharp spike in the sales of kitchen appliances, musical instruments, home gadgets, sports items, toys, and books. In fact, right now people are spending more money on food delivery online. And even though economic setbacks and lock downs or major problems of worry, the fear of uncertainty And going through prolonged isolation that can lead to anxiety has begun to make people indulge in impulsive buying in order to feel better. People have started to search for happiness in the products they buy online in order to escape from the current pandemic situation which is really sad, yet quite grim.
Guitars, gym equipments, and other kinds of social media inspired shopping
Thanks to social media and its influencers, people have started looking at new hobbies, for example — baking, illustrations, music. If you wanted to give a very realistic example – have you ever observed how suddenly everybody on Instagram started playing ukulele and posted about it? When you watch such videos, in your head you think if they can do it why can’t I and you will end up purchasing a ukulele and start striking chords.
Likewise when you start seeing healthy body transformations on social media because of lock down as a boon, people start splurging on athleisure and also subscribe to home workout videos as well.
Immunity Boosters — must need!
The onset of coronavirus and the pandemic since the early months of 2020 m all realize the importance of immunity. And every other person, especially in countries like India started buying herbs and ingredients that boost immunity instantly. People started buying minerals, vitamins, immunity supplements and instant mixes that will boost the immunity of our human bodies.
Home appliances that we think we definitely need
One major problem that hit us in maintaining a home is that domestic help or even nannies were not being allowed into societies or they were simply scared to get out of their homes just like us. This made us impulsive and splurge on several household and kitchen appliances which we could definitely do without but we thought we couldn’t.
Some Surveys Said This
According to certain service that were conducted worldwide, the following can be concluded:
- There was nearly 46% increase in ordering groceries online
- Nearly 35% of people started trying online food delivery service for the first time
- Almost 47% of people started purchasing online streaming services
- There was a 71% increase in online shopping habits even after pandemic and certain lockdown restrictions were eased.