6 in 10 Saudi consumers expect to return to pre-COVID normality in the next 6 months

6 in 10 Saudi consumers expect to return to pre-COVID normality in the next 6 months

RIYADH "” Alternative shopping options like Click & Collect, curb-side pickup (46%) and contactless In-Store experience like self-checkouts (27%) will be key to rebuilding Saudi consumers' confidence to visit public places (stores and supermarkets) moving forward. This is according to a study commissioned by Kearney; the third in a series of surveys exploring consumer shopping habits since the onset of the pandemic. The results reveal that as spending habits continue to evolve, consumers in the Kingdom stay cautious, with 57% expecting the effects of the pandemic to last for the next 6 months. It also highlights that expenditure on essential items (which constitutes of food and grocery (F&B) as well as non-F&B items like health and wellness products) has shown a sustained increase with 45% of consumers moving to higher priced, better quality products, while spending on non-essentials (clothes, bags and accessories) continues to decline. More than 80% of consumers have admittedly changed their shopping habits to adapt to the "new normal", with those aged between 30-45 recorded the highest change (89%) followed by those from ages 46-60 and under 30 years of age at 84% respectively. When looking more closely into how habits have changed, 18% have reduced expenditure