Half of Consumers Expect Reopening Delayed Until 2022 or Later
Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, reports a reversal in consumer comfort with reopening activities as concern over the Delta variant leaps. Survey results show the following key findings:
- Concern over COVID-19 jumped in August as the Delta variant spread. Nearly half (46%) of consumers say that they are highly concerned about COVID, up 10 percentage points from July 2021. More than a quarter (26%) rate their concern a 10/10 – a level not seen since March 2021 (25% of consumers).
- Half of all consumers are more concerned about the Delta variant than the original strain. 51% say they are specifically concerned about this variant, and 50% are more worried about this variant than they were about the original strain of COVID-19. 3 in 5 consumers (61%) think the Delta variant has the potential to push their region back into lockdowns.
- Half of vaccinated consumers are worried about being infected. 66% of vaccinated consumers say they are generally worried about the Delta variant, 62% about adult family and friends becoming infected, and 48% on becoming infected themselves.
- Among consumers who will not get the vaccine, the greatest concerns are focused on mandates, closures and lockdowns. 44% are worried about reimposed or extended mask mandates, 43% on new lockdowns or restrictions, and 32% are concerned about the impact on students returning to schools.
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COVID-19 Concerns by Vaccination Status
Percentage of Consumers Reporting
|
Concern |
Percent of Vaccinated Consumers |
Percent of Consumers Who Won’t Get the Vaccine |
|
Delta variant |
66% |
21% |
|
Adult friends & family becoming infected |
62% |
29% |
|
Becoming infected myself |
48% |
28% |
|
Children becoming infected |
46% |
25% |
|
Impact on students |
45% |
32% |
|
Lockdowns |
41% |
43% |
|
Mask mandates |
34% |
44% |
|
Travel restrictions |
30% |
27% |
|
None of the above |
1% |
16% |
After two months of increasing comfort levels with many activities and behaviors, consumers are back to feeling cautious, and changing their behaviors as a result:
- Consumers are less comfortable with indoor activities, particularly shopping mask-less.
- Consumers indicating they are comfortable shopping without a mask dropped 15 percentage points from July to August
- Comfort levels decreased significantly in August for attending a concert or show (-13 points), gathering mask-less with friends and family (-11 points), attending in-person classes (-11 points), and eating inside a restaurant (-9 points).
- Half of consumers now prefer wearing masks in public.
- More than half of consumers (53%) say they prefer to wear masks in public at this point in time (63% of vaccinated consumers vs 25% of unvaccinated consumers).
- 46% of consumers say they prefer to shop at retailers that require masks (56% of vaccinated vs 22% of unvaccinated).
- Over 2 in 5 (43%) think proof of vaccination should be required for public indoor spaces (60% of vaccinated vs 12% of unvaccinated).
Changes in Consumer Comfort Levels: August vs July 2021
% of consumers somewhat or extremely comfortable with activity in August vs July
|
Activity |
Point change from August vs July |
|
Shopping inside a store with no mask |
-15 points |
|
Attending a concert or show |
-13 points |
|
Gathering with family & friends with no masks |
-11 points |
|
Attending in-person classes |
-11 points |
|
Eating inside a restaurant |
-9 points |
|
Commuting via public transportation |
-9 points |
|
Going to a bar or club |
-8 points |
|
Flying on an airplane |
-7 points |
|
Traveling for leisure |
-7 points |
|
Attending religious services |
-7 points |
|
Staying at a hotel |
-6 points |
|
Eating outside at a restaurant |
-5 points |
|
Ordering takeout food |
-5 points |
|
Gathering with family & friends with masks |
-3 points |
With the rise of the Delta variant, consumers have adjusted their expectations for a return to pre-COVID times:
- Consumers are less optimistic. 1 in 5 consumers (20%) say they are highly optimistic about a return to normal, down from 1 in 3 (33%) at the beginning of the summer.
- Vaccinated consumers are more optimistic than unvaccinated. Among those who do not plan to get the vaccine, 12% say they are not at all optimistic about a return to normal, compared to 3% of vaccinated consumers.
- Half of consumers believe reopening is pushed until 2022. Timing expectations for a return to normal have significantly shifted. Nearly half (48%) of consumers say they expect full reopening to be delayed until 2022 or later, up from 23% of consumers who said the same in July and 18% in June.
- Consumers are returning to COVID behaviors. After steady increases throughout 2021, the number of consumers who said they had resumed pre-COVID behaviors decreased for the first time, dropping from 39% in July to 27% in August.
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*Results are based on a Numerator consumer sentiment survey fielded to 1000+ Numerator panelists on a monthly basis. Data in this release is primarily based on Waves 5 and 6 of the survey, fielded on 7/15/21 and 8/13/21, respectively. Responses are shown at a total level and also broken out by COVID-19 vaccine status and intention, based on Numerator’s Premium Vaccine People Groups.
