Consumer Behavior

Consumer comfort level a mixed bag as COVID-19 vaccinations take place

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April 23, 2021

While the current COVID-19 vaccination effort has some consumers feeling safer about shopping, eating out and traveling, consumer comfort level, overall, remains a mixed bag.

That's a prime finding of a SlickText survey on when consumers will feel comfortable resuming pre-pandemic activities such as attending events, eating out and traveling by plane.

The survey results indicate that while "a decent number of people" have already resumed pre-pandemic activities, others plan to wait up to another six months, according to a press release.

Key findings include:

Willingness to pay a bit more for a safer environment. In the survey 73% expressed tolerances of a 5% cost increase if the additional charge covered enhanced cleaning or safety protocols.
Nearly 28% of respondents expected brands to increase enforcement of social distancing in their stores; over 19% want more touchless payment options; and nearly 18% wished for better contact tracing.
Eagerness to resume restaurant dining in person. A majority (49%) of respondents have already dined at a restaurant. Only 10% plan on waiting six months or longer before they dine out.
Divided opinions about when to resume air travel. California respondents (29%) already feel comfortable with air travel, while a majority of New York respondents (25%) plan to wait at least six months before flying.

"While organizations like sporting arenas, entertainment venues, restaurants and airlines have more say as they develop and implement their individual reopening policies, ultimately it's the consumers who decide whether or not to frequent their establishments," Meg Scales, CMO of SlickText, said in the release. "As the nation reopens, customer preferences and sentiments rapidly evolve. It's vital to continue analyzing data to understand what those consumers expect to feel safe — and when they'll be comfortable resuming pre-pandemic activities and habits. Businesses can use the information we collected to strategize the most effective use of their resources to ensure they not only meet but exceed customer expectations."