The behavior of today's consumers has changed significantly over the past 18 months, and at the same time, their expectations have evolved. As recent Capgemini research suggests, many of these changes will prove to be permanent – the global pandemic has transformed shopper behavior.

As much as 25 percent of consumers believe that they will be much less likely to shop in brick-and-mortar stores and malls in the future. 40 percent of buyers declare that they will likely continue shopping for all groceries online. At the same time, the use of self-checkouts and contactless services has increased by 27 percent compared to the period before the pandemic.

53 percent of consumers started buying new brand products during the pandemic, and 11 percent of them will continue to use the services of new manufacturers in the future.

As Cap Gemini notes, in the crisis caused by the pandemic, online shopping spending increased by 17-22 percent. This growth is expected to continue.

"Of course, the demand in physical grocery stores will not disappear. Consumers continue to value access to a variety of fresh and sustainable food and household items. But we are seeing how the rules of engagement have changed. The choice is becoming more and more important, thanks to various ways to buy online, subscriptions, delivery applications, trading platforms, and direct selling," Anna Morawska, CoE Sourcing Lead at Capgemini, said.

(WBJ)