The number of Greek shoppers visiting food stores has increased by more than a third (35%) since the height of the lockdown period, however it is still down considerably on last year, a new study by IELKA has found.
The number of weekly visits to supermarkets, specialist food stores and food markets stood at 8.2 in August 2020, according to the study, compared to just 6.1 in April.
However, the average number of weekly visits stood at 13.6 in December of last year.
Signs Of Recovery
'The data shows that there is a clear recovery compared to the lockdown period, but it remains quite removed from the period before the outbreak of the pandemic,' IELKA said.
'It should be noted that there is a percentage of consumers, about 5%, who now systematically choose to shop 'from a distance', mainly via the Internet, something that is obviously affecting store traffic.'
Purchase Considerations
The study also examined the main considerations that Greek consumers have while shopping.
In December, quality (37%) and value for money (31%) were the key driving factors, however by April, this had shifted completely, with health and safety (31%) and convenience (23%) considered most important.
In August of this year, value for money (28%) was cited as the key consideration by shoppers, followed by quality (25%). While health and safety and convenience remain elevated, they are not as high on the list of considerations for shoppers.
The continuing impact of the pandemic on eating habits was also tracked, with 31% of shoppers now saying they cook more at home, and 38% saying that they visit restaurants less.
A separate study by IELKA and the E-Commerce Laboratory (ELTRUN) of the Athens University of Economics and Business, found that the percentage of consumers that have made an internet purchase in the past ten days has risen to 50%, compared to an average of 21% last year.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
