Experts around the world are oracularizing what changes the Corona pandemic will bring about. The area of nutrition and consumer behavior has already been directly affected because home offices and restaurant closures have abruptly changed the everyday life of our society. A look at corona consumption patterns, post-corona consumption, and changing consumer needs in the future.
These days are a statistician’s paradise. An extraordinary event like the Corona pandemic provides sufficient (numerical) fodder. And food is what we are specifically talking about here. Sorry, I mean food. The sales figures for consumer electronics (+800%) and pet supplies (+700%) are also astounding. And this example should also be used to mention a statistical caveat: the difference between correlation and causality.
Is the electronics market now running hot because working in a home office demanded better hardware or because we simply want to celebrate the new Netflix subscription on a better TV? Were pets neglected and malnourished for years, or do we simply give them more attention and toys now because we are home with them more? One does not know!
Corona consumption behavior
However, I wanted to address the consumption of food. Early on, the Agricultural Information Service (LID) announced that 20 – 30% more vegetables and fruits are consumed in Switzerland. Recently, the LID doubled and reported a 40% increase in potato consumption as fresh vegetables, chips or ready-to-eat rösti, but a slump in French fries consumption (-75%).
Internationally, we have even more impressive figures. In the USA, 700% of the usual amount of fruits & vegetables are sold. Only pasta sauce makes it almost as high, although the 400% of meat, eggs & fish are also very impressive.
What I found exciting was a picture from the United Kingdom: Here, too, the consumption of vegetables & fruits exploded (+800%), but even more extreme was the consumption of dairy products (+1000%). Is this simply a shift in consumption: because pubs in England can no longer serve milk, sales in supermarkets are soaring? Or are they real changes in consumer behavior?
Post-Corona consumption:
While there are cultural differences in food consumption, it would be helpful to look at a market that is already further along in the fight against corona. A look at Japan shows that after clear swings (here again fruits & vegetables as frontrunners), all product groups are returning to a familiar level of experience. Whereby healthy foods clearly remain elevated the longest and in a «healthy nation» like Japan even remain at 40% and more growth.
The above sales figures also show that it is not a question of meat vs. veggies, but that it is apparently known worldwide that a greater consumption of fruit and vegetables is healthy and that it is not necessary to completely renounce animal products. I hope this change to more fresh, more fruit, more vegetables survives the crisis!
Post-Corona Customer Needs
With all the figures and forecasts, however, one thing is clear to me: consumers and guests have been rudely reminded of the value and importance of our health. Many have responded to this initial uncertainty by (re)starting to exercise and eat healthier. That gave back some control, structure and security. If companies – and I don’t mean fitness providers or sports shoe manufacturers, but above all restaurateurs, caterers and retailers – can recognize, exploit and, above all, serve these changing needs, not only will public health benefit, but so will their sales.
Data source: Criteo
