- New Jersey, California and Massachusetts shoppers rank as most ‘excited’ to return to shops in good sign for struggling economy
- DC, North Carolina and Connecticut are the most ‘nervous’
- 40% US shoppers plan to shop online more often, after lockdown, with the South and South East leading the way
- Shopping baskets contain up to 40% more items as first consumers return
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
With lock down now easing across the United States, 75% of American consumers say they are ready to hit the stores again, with just 22% nervous as stores begin to open their doors.
In a poll of over 17,000 customers by market research and consumer insights company TruRating, the report found that Arkansas, Nevada, New Jersey, California and Massachusetts lead the way in terms of ‘excitement’; while shoppers in DC, North Carolina, Connecticut, Missouri and Minnesota were the least confident.
While Arkansas and Nevada have been without restriction since the pandemic, the upsurge in excitement in badly hit states such as New Jersey and California suggest a potential wider swing towards readiness to get back to shops.
TruRating also polled customers on their online shopping behavior after COVID-19 restrictions have eased - up to 40 per cent of Americans claimed that they plan to shop online more after COVID.
The greatest upswing was found to be in states in the South and South East, with North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas taking the pole positions, in a poll of over 25,000 US consumers.
While this will be of keen interest a retail industry that has found many consumers resistant to shopping online, TruRating also measured increased basket sizes up to as much as 40% during initial weeks of in-store shopping.
Georgina Nelson, CEO and Founder of TruRating, commented, “The data is good news for retail and hospitality, sectors hit especially hard by the pandemic. Making customers feel safe will be paramount to ensuring that they continue to shop, eat out and travel in the coming month. It’s amazing to see consumer confidence so high, but the fact that many have increased their online shopping habits suggests the retail landscape will continue to evolve as a result of COVID.”
As the company works with retailers in their journey to re-opening, TruRating will continue to monitor and assess varying customer reactions to key issues across North America, the United Kingdom and Australasia.
Notes to Editors
For Comment:
Georgina Nelson, Founder + CEO, TruRating – [email protected]; +1 470 303 7338
For Enquiries:
James McDeermond, US Marketing, TruRating, [email protected]; +1 770 617 2061
About TruRating
TruRating is a company specializing in customer experience insights, with a particular focus on retail and hospitality industries. Utilizing original point-of-payment technology, TruRating operates on the simple principle of only ever asking one question per customer, which means the vast majority are happy to respond. As the feedback is collected at point of payment, in-store or online, every response comes from a guaranteed customer and is linked to transaction data. With industry-leading response rates at an average of 88%, TruRating’s unique technology platform gives businesses the real-time data they need to make better decisions. Founded in the UK by CEO Georgina Nelson in 2014, TruRating has since expanded operations to Australia, Canada and the United States, and is live in two additional countries, Ireland and New Zealand.
To learn more about TruRating’s customer insights or to enquire about their services, visit www.trurating.com
