Ware2Go Study: 87% of Americans Are Taking Up New Activities During Coronavirus Isolation, Ushering in the ‘Business to Eve...
May 27 2020 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Today's New Focus on Home-Based Activities,
Including Work, Schooling, Health, and Hobbies Like Cooking and
Pets Means More Online Shopping and Embracing New Merchants
Ware2Go, a UPS (NYSE:UPS) company that helps merchants simplify
fast delivery to customers, announced new research results from its
recent survey of American consumer habits during the coronavirus
pandemic. Some 87% of Americans are taking up new activities due to
shelter-in-place directives being implemented to slow the spread of
COVID-19.
Given that a majority of Americans are sheltering at home,
shopping habits have changed. Recent survey data from Ware2Go shows
that 87% of Americans are now shopping online, and 64% say they’re
replacing weekly shopping trips with online ordering.
In fact, some 55% of Americans have purchased items online from
websites and retailers they have never shopped with before. Today’s
“new normal” has precipitated an acceleration in online shopping
that presents a new supply chain landscape for merchants. In the
face of shifting purchasing channels, companies should be prepared
to deliver goods to wholesalers, retailers and eCommerce consumers
seamlessly, scaling with demand, as part of a new B2E (Business to
Everyone) paradigm. B2E requires a scalable supply chain that
integrates operations, logistics, and fast shipping capabilities
for maximum flexibility.
"Ware2Go's tech-forward fulfillment solution enables merchants
to seamlessly pivot between B2B and B2C orders to meet the new
standards of the B2E economy and streamline fast fulfillment to all
customers," says Steve Denton, CEO of Ware2Go. "The recent
acceleration in eCommerce order mix has created a new level of
complexity for merchants, requiring the ability to adapt
fulfillment to shifts in consumer demand quickly," he commented.
"Today and going forward, a dynamic business requires a dynamic
supply chain. As customers adopt a new approach to shopping,
businesses must adopt a new approach to their supply chain."
Work, Schooling, Cooking, Exercise, and Pets: Key Drivers for
Online Shopping
Americans’ willingness to try new brands during the lockdown
spans product categories, as some 61% have tried new grocery
brands, 34% have tried new vitamin and supplement brands, and 28%
are trying new pet supply brands. Many consumers are seeking to
stock up for new work-from-home and home schooling duties, as well
as hobbies like cooking, exercising and engaging with their
pets.
According to new survey data, more than two-thirds of employed
Americans (67%) are working from home, and 51% have children being
home schooled. The shift to working remotely, along with home
schooling, has meant that consumers need office and school supplies
delivered to their doorsteps. Some 57% of workers say they have
what they need to work from home, and 87% of Americans think
they’re fairly well equipped for home schooling. But supplemental
work and school needs are driving online purchasing, as 30% of
consumers say they are buying related supplies. The top items
needed are pens, pencils, paper, and notebooks (49%), books (44%),
and tech tools like computers or tablets (42%).
During off-work hours, the most popular quarantine activity is
cooking (48%). And 77% of Americans are purchasing food items
online. Some 81% of consumers say they are learning to cook or are
cooking at home more frequently during the quarantine.
Some 61% are trying new grocery brands, and internal data from
Ware2Go shows that eCommerce shipments of food and beverage items
have increased up to 151% overall since the beginning of the
pandemic.
Healthy habits remain a top-of-mind concern, as a popular
lockdown activity is exercising, at 42% overall. More men (49%) are
taking it up than women (36%), and exercise was the most popular
pastime for Gen Z, at 52%. According to Ware2Go’s internal data,
vitamin and supplement brands have seen an increase of up to 45% in
eCommerce shipment volume during the pandemic, and 42% of consumers
polled have started to purchase vitamins and supplements online,
with 34% trying new supplement brands. With gyms being closed, home
exercise equipment has become popular, with 17% of respondents
purchasing new exercise equipment online.
Furry and feathered companions are driving online sales, too.
Some 11% of consumers surveyed have adopted or purchased a pet
during the pandemic, and 27% have practiced “retail therapy” by
purchasing pet supplies. According to Ware2Go data, pet supply
brands saw eCommerce order shipments increased by as much as
58%.
More About the Survey
This data is based on a study conducted by Propeller Insights on
behalf of Ware2Go in April 2020. The survey polled over 1,000 U.S.
consumers about their online shopping habits and preferences and
any changes to their behavior due to the coronavirus pandemic. An
infographic showcasing survey highlights is available from
Ware2Go.
About Ware2Go
Ware2Go, a UPS Company, operates a turnkey nationwide
fulfillment network designed to help merchants easily position
products closer to end customers for a fast, inexpensive and
reliable order-to-delivery experience. Ware2Go offers an integrated
solution for storage, pick, pack, and shipping services to
businesses of all sizes through an intuitive cloud-based technology
platform that makes it easy to extend your distribution footprint
and scale up and down as your operational needs change. Ware2Go
simplifies nationwide fulfillment to help you meet your customers'
needs and expectations. For more information, visit
http://www.ware2go.co/
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200527005060/en/
Gabrielle Jasinski Bospar for Ware2Go 708-732-3913
gabrielle@bospar.com
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