A majority of shoppers (53%) in the UK believe that retailers are doing enough to protect the public from coronavirus, according to a recent survey by the BRC and Opinium.
The weekly survey, launched in May of this year, tracks consumer behaviour and their sentiment towards coronavirus.
Popular Safety Measures
Customers rated compulsory hand sanitising (38%), one-way systems (36%) and regular cleaning (35%) as the most popular safety measures implemented by retailers for the period between 19-22 June 2020.
The percentage of respondents wearing or intending to wear a mask was 60% for the week, down from 70% in the previous week.
The percentage of shoppers who said they are not wearing masks rose from 29% to 40%.
A Reassuring Factor
Chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson OBE, said, “Thousands of retailers opened their doors for the first time in months, and shoppers enjoyed visiting many stores they had been missing.
“Retailers will be reassured by polling showing that almost six times as many people agreed that retailers were doing enough to protect the public as disagreed. Nonetheless, retailers must continue to work hard to ensure everyone has the confidence to visit their local high street."
In the latest week, 15% of shoppers said they would visit shops to browse, up from 13% before the lifting of lockdown in the UK and Ireland.
The percentage of respondents who intended to visit shops for necessary purchases increased from 44% to 53%.
Respondents who said they would avoid visiting shops, if possible, fell from 38% to 28%.
'Initial Burst Of Enthusiasm'
Dickinson added, “Shops and jobs depend on the ongoing support by the public. While the initial burst of enthusiasm is welcomed, the coming weeks and months will determine the future of our high streets for years to come.”
The survey found that 64% of customers were more comfortable about making in-store grocery purchases, compared to 63% in the previous week.
However, the weekly figures for the non-grocery segment fell to 39% from 41% a week ago.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
