Over half (51%) of UK and US consumers say pandemic lockdown motivated them to spend money on making their living environment more comfortable and fun

Over a third of consumers inspired by seeing inside other people’s homes in lockdown video calls

52% of households has made at least on online purchase for their home or garden while on lockdown

Over half (51%) of UK and US consumers indicated in a new survey that being at home during the pandemic lockdown has motivated them to spend money on making their living environment a more comfortable and fun place to be. And over a third (36%) agreed that seeing inside the homes of friends and colleagues in pandemic video calls has inspired them to improve their own home environment.

52% of the sample reveal that their household has bought at least one product online during lockdown to make their indoor or outdoor living space nicer or more comfortable. And the trend is likely to continue – with 55% expecting to be spending more time in their homes or gardens even after lockdowns have completely lifted.

The findings of the survey of 2,000 UK and US consumers by commerce experience platform Nosto suggests that lockdown has re-balanced people’s priorities, with 56% of consumers indicating the experience has made them realise the importance of a nice home environment. And 52% indicated someone in their household had started at least one Do-it-Yourself (DIY) or home improvement project while locked down.

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Interestingly, the spike in video calls during the pandemic may have made some people feel embarrassed about the appearance of their homes, with 40% of the sample (30% in the UK) saying they were conscious of their own home when on video calls.

When asked which online channels they visit for researching home and garden product ideas or recommendations, the top destination (mentioned by 52% of the whole sample) was Amazon. Next was Google (45%) followed by YouTube (34%) (see below).

Top Online Channels for Researching Home and Garden Product Ideas Among Consumers (UK and US consumers)

1. Amazon (52%)
2. Google (45%)
3. YouTube (34%)
4. Online retail stores (30%)
5. Facebook (27%)
6. Instagram (21%)
7. Pinterest (19%)
8. Online magazines/blogs (12%)

Just under one in five consumers (18%) indicated they would be more likely to buy Home & Garden products from an online store if they see clear messaging about the covid-19 measures an online retailer has implemented to protect employees and customers.

Free delivery (51%) followed by fast delivery (41%) were the factors that most consumers in the poll said would make it more likely that they would purchase a home and garden product from an online store. Other important factors included plenty of positive reviews, and good quality images and free returns. Interestingly, free returns seemed less important than free deliveries, suggesting that shoppers find more value in no upfront shipping costs because once they have made the purchase they are confident they won’t be returning the product.

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6 Factors that Influence Online Purchases of Home & Garden Products (UK and US consumers)

• Free delivery (51%)
• Fast delivery (41%)
• A large number of positive reviews (36%)
• Plenty of good quality images of the products (34%)
• Returns are free (34%)
• Clear returns policies (29%)

“The pandemic is making people re-evaluate their lifestyles completely, and this survey underlines how turning their house into a home is now a major priority for many,” said Jake Chatt, Nosto’s Head of Brand Marketing. “As demand for these goods continues to increase and shopping in physical stores remains scarce in many places across the globe, I think Home & Garden retailers need to be building trust with shoppers by optimising their ecommerce experiences. If they don’t, Amazon will continue dominating the vertical online and many retailers may not make it to the other side of this.”

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