Habits formed during the coronavirus pandemic may last long after Covid-19 is under control
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, many Americans are eating better and cleaning their homes more deeply and frequently than before, according to a new survey. And they may very well maintain these new habits after the pandemic is controlled.
Although the survey did not ask specifically about mattresses or other sleep products, the survey has implications for mattress retailers: If consumers are more concerned overall about health and wellness, they likely are interested in products that will keep their beds clean and sanitary.
According to the survey from New York-based NCSolutions, a provider of buyer insights focused on consumer packaged goods, 96% of Americans say they clean and disinfect their homes as much or more than before.
Specifically, 41% of respondents say they are spending more time cleaning than before the coronavirus emerged and 55% say they are spending the same amount of time as before. “Notably, almost a third of consumers (32%) say they have no plans to go back to their prepandemic rates of cleaning,” according to NCSolutions.
In a report released March 15, NCSolutions analyzed 12 months of its consumer purchase data, as well as findings from national March survey of 2,017 respondents ages 18 or older.
Its purchase data confirms consumer interest in cleaning, showing spending on cleaning products up 35% year over year.
In addition, 47% of respondents say they are eating healthier foods, 38% say they are regularly exercising, and 55% are taking vitamins and supplements.
“The big question on everyone’s minds is: Which of these newly formed behaviors will stick? Looking back at history, we see numerous examples of behaviors changing post-crisis. After the excesses of the Roaring Twenties and the poverty of the Depression, for instance, many people became extremely cautious about money. Some went as far as to save money in their mattresses — behavior that lasted for decades,” says Linda Dupree, NCSolutions chief executive officer. “We expect Americans to sustain their higher interest in CPG products and activities that foster self-care and well-being — both physical and emotional — for some time.”
