Months into the coronavirus pandemic, with cases continuing to spike across the United States, more consumers say they are stocking up on essentials (59 percent) compared to when they were asked in early June (53 percent).

Shopping rewards app Shopkick conducted a series of consumer surveys throughout the pandemic to keep a pulse on shopping behavior, analyzing new habits and trends that arise. The latest survey of more than 12,000 consumers, conducted July 14-20, provides insights on the ever-changing consumer habits.

Among the national insights:

• More people (59 percent) are stocking up now as compared to June (53 percent), purchasing items such as food and water (87 percent), toiletries (81 percent), cleaning supplies (68 percent), hand sanitizer and soap (65 percent), medicine and/or medical items (48 percent) and animal supplies (37 percent).
• A majority (54 percent) say they are now spending less than at the start of the pandemic, compared to only 26 percent who reported decreased spending in June. When asked to compare spending to this time last year, 62 percent say they are spending less.
• 89 percent of consumers say non-essential retailers have reopened in their local area (compared to 70 percent in June), while more than half (52 percent) have already visited these retailers (compared to 37 percent in June). Of those who have visited non-essential retailers, 58 percent have hit apparel, shoe and accessories stores, followed by restaurants and bars (55 percent), and beauty stores (39 percent).
• For those who have not visited reopened retailers yet (48 percent), 65 percent say they plan to wait more than one month to visit, a 20 percent increase over June. 

“It is a stressful time for consumers and retailers everywhere as concerns grow alongside case numbers,” says David Fisch, general manager of Shopkick. “While we do not know when we will get to the other side of the pandemic, we do know that more people are stocking up, shopping in-store and spending less compared to months prior. We hope that by continuing to release consumer data, retailers and brands can create more informed strategies and tactics to best meet their customers’ needs during these trying times.”