But increased reliance on e-commerce seems here to stay
By Ken Kelley
TORONTO – As Canadians prepare to enter the sixth month of life during Covid-19, a Corus Entertainment survey examining the ongoing impact of the pandemic reveals Canadians are increasingly at ease with the numerous unknowns associated with the crisis.
The survey results were featured in a webcast, Canadians In Isolation: Exploring the Impact of Covid-19 on Canadian Consumers, released earlier this month. It polled a sample of 3,000 English-speaking Canadians aged 18 to 54 over an approximate three-month span, from the end of March to the end of June. The survey sought to determine how Canadians are feeling and their perceptions of the Covid-19 crisis, the economic impact of the pandemic as well as a number of measures of consumer demand and the continuing impact on brands.
We have covered two prior releases of data from the report, here and here.
Concern over exactly how long the crisis will endure has been a dominant theme of the survey since its inception. From a high of 63% of Canadians expressing serious concern about the pandemic’s duration in wave one of the survey, Canadians are cautiously letting their guards down, with only 46% stating they remain worried. Likewise, Canadians’ concerns around the world economy, Canada’s economy and their personal finances have also steadily decreased.
Shauna Houlton, director of consumer insights at Corus, said Canadians seem to have wrapped their heads around the fact the pandemic will last fo
r a while yet: 40% of respondents acknowledge measures currently in place will remain until the end of 2020.
The survey has also tracked the concerns of Canadians with respect to access to food and essentials during the crisis.
“Sixty-five per cent of respondents told us they were concerned about being able to access food and essentials [in wave one], and that has since dropped down to 43%. So there is still a large percentage of the population that is concerned, but it’s also trending in the right direction,” Houlton said.
In addition to reporting a sustained and continued improvement in the quality of our personal relationships, the survey also stated that Canadians are placing a renewed emphasis on values that matter most to them.
“Between waves one and three, safety and family were consistent values among all respondents, but in wave four, we saw honesty, quality and convenience start to make steady gains.”
Houlton noted that the latest survey results showed fewer Canadians are reporting feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information being received around the pandemic. From a high of 54% in wave one, just 43% of respondents in the latest survey said they feel overwhelmed by the ongoing coverage around Covid-19. And of those who stated they have felt overwhelmed, 39% said they have successfully limited the amount of news and information they are receiving.
“While we’ve accepted our new normal, I don’t think we like our new normal, and actually find it helpful to see those glimpses of normal life.” – Shauna Houlton, Corus
“But regardless as to whether or not we’re feeling overwhelmed, we want to see reflections of normal life. More now so than in the beginning,” she said. “While we’ve accepted our new normal, I don’t think we like our new normal, and actually find it helpful to see those glimpses of normal life.”
From an economic standpoint, respondents stating they have suffered a job loss due to Covid has levelled off from a high of 19% in wave two to 11% in the latest results. There was also a five-percentage point decrease in the number of Canadians reporting their household income level has gone down.
“Where we have consistently seen positive improvement is the impact of all of the government programs that came online,” Houlton stated. “We saw the impact of those as soon as they rolled out. And in addition, we’ve also seen a nice increase in terms of the respondents saying they feel they will remain financially stable for the duration of the pandemic. We’ve also got fewer Canadians feeling desperate now or that they will be desperate in a few weeks.”
One of the biggest revelations in Corus’ latest data is how consumers have used the pandemic to engage with e-commerce differently. Not only have more Canadians been shopping online, they are doing so across a myriad of different categories including grocery, fashion, technology, appliances and furniture. Additionally, the survey shows Canadians anticipate continuing to shop online, across all industries, even when things do get back to normal.
Although the Covid pandemic changed the way Canadians shop, the low-interest rate environment hasn’t drastically changed attitudes surrounding large purchases. While more than half of respondents said they won’t be making any big-ticket purchases across any of the major consumer categories, only the most optimistic have shown any inclination that a big-ticket purchase is in the cards for the near future.
Looking at advertising in the world of Covid, messages from retailers and companies concerning what they are doing to protect their customers and/or their workforce during the crisis continue to be positively viewed among Canadians. But there was also an uptick in the number of consumers stating they felt Covid-related ads were starting to blend together.
The data also showed Covid-specific advertising isn’t a requirement for companies to have a positive brand impact. This remained consistent across all six of Corus’ survey waves.
