Impact of the pandemic on rural shopping habits
An ostensibly prosaic subject but in the hands of quality researchers of this calibre a really useful contribution to our rural store of knowledge. This article tells us:
Researchers at the University of Southampton have explored how the pandemic has impacted the shopping habits and attitudes of consumers aged 65+ living and shopping in rural communities in the South of England.
A series of practical recommendations to encourage older shoppers in rural areas back into local stores in the wake of COVID-19 have emerged from research commissioned by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE).
The research found that while many older shoppers were already returning to use rural retail stores, the majority also had similar concerns and apprehensions that prevented it being a ‘normal’ experience. For others, at the time of the survey in summer 2021, physical shopping remained a step too far, often for one or more of the reasons that were also inhibiting those who had already returned.
The findings led to seven recommendations for stores to help welcome more older shoppers back, make those who already had feel more comfortable, and encourage an improved experience for customers:
- Simply recognise that pandemic fear persists
- Maintain a physical distance
- Offer multiple modes of payment to reduce anxiety
- Encourage and facilitate [even more] personalised service interactions
- Mitigate against merchandise contamination
- Ask for feedback (and listen)
- Go the extra (delivery) mile