Sales remain elevated across every channel as opening continues
While sales remain elevated across channels, Gas & Convenience sales continue to rise while Online, Electronics and Club maintain momentum.
Consumers are driving up their odometers and their shopping trips
As shoppers start adding mileage to their cars again, channels such as Gas & Convenience and QSR have reaped the benefits with trip growth vs. year ago. Online, however, has fallen to below year ago levels. Even given this, Online shopping trips remain elevated vs. 2 years ago alongside Home Improvement and Club.
Clear Eyes, Big Baskets, Can’t Lose
Consumers continue to fill their baskets to sustain at-home consumption, with bigger baskets and higher spend per trip vs. 2 years ago, a dynamic that has continued even as consumers return to pre-pandemic behaviors. This is especially driven by increased spend in Dollar, Military, and Liquor channels. Despite relative underperformance vs. YAGO in past weeks due to last year's stock-up and lockdown period, when basket sizes were especially large, spend per trip has climbed back to flat vs. year ago.
Households holding steady
Non-essential channels are seeing an elevated quantity of households shopping vs. year ago. Home Improvement, Liquor and Club channels are all seeing more households shopping in 2021 vs. both 2019 and 2020 as shoppers have prioritized their living space and larger trips due to the pandemic. Offsetting this high, households shopping online has continued to fall in recent weeks but remain elevated vs. past two years.
Want to Know More?
Check out additional COVID-19 consumer tracking and reopening content linked below or in our resources tab.
Monthly Consumer Sentiment Survey
As vaccine efforts increase, how do consumers feel and what are they up to?
The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behavior
How has consumer behavior changed in light of COVID-19?
COVID Buyer Habit Index
Which new behaviors are likely to stick in our post-COVID routines?