New Study by SheerID and CommerceNext reveals how consumers want retailers to respond in emotionally and financially challenging economic environment

SheerID and CommerceNext announced the findings of a survey designed to gauge the emotional pulse of consumers during the pandemic. The survey also sought to understand how brands & retailers can emotionally connect with consumers during this difficult time.

The psychological impact of Covid-19 and what consumers want from retailers:

More than two thirds of consumers (67%) believe that COVID-19 will continue to impact their lives up to a year or more. The most common ways they feel impacted are mental – such as a need to maintain friendships and social interactions (49%) as well as their mental health (48%) – rather than physical, such as maintaining their physical health (29%) or their financial well-being (25%).

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Needs of consumers vary by affinity group:

The study also surveyed shoppers from different affinity groups such as law enforcement, frontline care workers, students, teachers and seniors to get their respective views on the pandemic. The findings below reflect the beliefs of those within a particular group vs. those across all affinity groups:

• Students feel a more pronounced impact on mental health (53% vs 48%), financial security (33% vs 25%) and not surprisingly, education (20% vs 8%). They were also more likely to want brands to support local communities and charities (34% vs 27%).
• While law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs are among the groups most exposed to Covid given the nature of their jobs, they were slightly more optimistic about the length of time Covid will continue to have an impact.
• Students lean more towards supporting brands they believe in, while Military and Law enforcement are more likely to go out of their way to avoid brands who go against their beliefs.
• Teachers (30%), Firefighters/EMT (33%) and Law Enforcement (30%) felt a greater impact on their ability to maintain hobbies and interests vs the total group (23%).

“These findings suggest that the COVID playbook that brands have employed over the past year isn’t something that retailers should throw away even when the vaccine is widely distributed,” stated Jake Weatherly, CEO of SheerID. “We are seeing long-term trends in terms in the ways people relate to retailers. Consumers across all segments now expect brands to go beyond merchandising and align their brand with purposes that support the community at large.”

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