Infected-tired shoppers want a meaningful holiday season

During these holidays, shopkeepers do not plan happy and gift-based celebrations. Instead, many are getting ready for smaller meetings, relying on spending and paying more of their dollars to retailers. International spread of corona virus, According to a new survey by Accenture.

The majority of those surveyed – 61% – said they plan to reduce in-store shopping to reduce health risks for essential workers, as found by more than 1,500 U.S. consumer survey firms in August. The same number said they are more likely to make purchases at companies that show commitment to health, safety and hygiene.

More than 40% said they would not shop with retailers who have laid off employees or reduced employee benefits due to the epidemic.

Three-quarters said consumers want retailers to close on Thanksgiving so workers can take time off and spend time with their families.

Jill Stondish, who heads Accenture’s retail practice, said the global health crisis has prompted Americans to react differently this season. People have to rearrange their homes while working at the kitchen desk or helping their children with distant school work. They have deceived crying babies and barking dogs during zoom conference calls. They have realized that they will not be able to enjoy the same holiday traditions this year or gather with loved ones who live far away.

All of this has increased people’s empathy for neighbors, co-workers and strangers who store shelves or look at the store, he said.

“We are all locked up, with our families, school and home and work all colliding,” he said. “Holidays are just another extension of this. Yet it has made us all a little more tolerant and a little more human.”

More than 200,000 Americans have died since Govt-19. Many more have been taken ill or hospitalized. This reduces the shopping interest of some Americans. On average, survey respondents said they plan to spend $ 540 this year. This is almost a $ 100 drop from last year ‘s average expected 67,337 expenditure.

Nearly 40% of those surveyed said they were not looking forward to the holidays due to Govt-19 and 35% were not looking forward to the holidays, and were friends for reasons such as grieving a loved one or being away from family.

1 in 4 respondents said it would reduce holiday spending because it is generally a difficult year, and 22% said Govit-19 has affected their financial security, which is very careful in spending.

As the holidays approach, retailers are beginning to announce how different their plans are. Big box retailers including Walmart, Target and Best Pie have said they are coming Closed on Thanksgiving Day Many have vowed to expand holiday sales rather than focusing on the 24-hour window on Black Friday, which encourages crowded stores.

In the early months of the epidemic, retail workers blew their support. Major grocery stores such as Groger and Walmart offered spot bonuses or temporary pay rises. Walmart ran television commercials that described hourly employees as heroes. The goal An increase to the minimum wage of one hour 15 hours.

During the protests that followed the assassination of George Floyd, Many companies promised To increase the diversity of their employees, donate to non-profit organizations focused on racial justice and place more items from minority-owned businesses on their shelves.

When Americans visit malls or retailers’ websites this holiday season, they will continue to pay attention, Stondish said. They read and listen to companies’ practices on social media or in the news. Employees will notice if they appear to be interested or do not have adequate safety equipment.

“It’s not just about the product,” he said. “It’s about who is behind the product and what the personality of that brand is, and it stands for what I believe.”

For example, 4 out of 10 respondents said they plan to shop in minority-owned businesses and the same number will shop with retailers that support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Stondish said it is even easier for consumers to implement their values ​​when browsing for gifts online. About 75% say they plan to do at least some holiday shopping online and 43% say they plan to shop exclusively online this holiday season.

“It is clear who is really just and who is doing the right thing,” he said. “When consumers have a choice, they shop online, a product that is available from other retailers, and then they have the ability to go for a change. They can compare. They can shop somewhere else. So transparency is nothing else this holiday.”