Dansberger 1

Alisiya Dansberger

Mrs. Cramer

College Comp. 1

11 March 2022

Shopping Style Shift

“… public health officials in the state of Washington have reported three hospitalized

patients who have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, including one patient who

died.” (CDC 1) When this news was released to the public, people were sent into a panic. Going

outside seemed dangerous for most people, but they needed ways to get products and groceries

that they required. In response, they turned to online shopping. This habit stuck with people even

after the pandemic scare had calmed down. Shopping online proved to be far more convenient

than going out to shop, this made more people stay in. Unfortunately, this new pandemic trend

took a toll on businesses and altered consumer habits for the foreseeable future. The Coronavirus

pandemic has destroyed businesses and caused consumers to be more economical and online-

oriented, as there has been an increase in business closure, consumer money management, and

online orders.

To begin, a trend of business closures was seen with the uprising of online shopping.

Businesses and stores around the world began to shut down in droves. In the UK alone over

11,000 chain stores closed between early 2020 and early 2021. Most of these closures

outweighed the openings, with this, a steady decline of in-person stores was recorded. (More 4-

5) This shows how detrimental the pandemic’s online shopping trend was to in-person stores due

to the massive rates of store closure. These were the closures of chain stores, which are usually
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rather powerful businesses; if these stores were struggling, small businesses seemed to have little

chance to survive. The chain stores often had websites and only needed to close down in-person

location, but a good amount small businesses were not that lucky. Some small businesses simply

did not have the resources to switch to an online dynamic of consumerism. (Alvarez 9)

Businesses like Ma and Pa groceries or shops were at highest threat of closure because most

often they were run by older individuals with a limited knowledge of technology. The lack of

technology was detrimental to small businesses so masses of stores were forced to close. The

pandemic has forced an increasing amount of people to become more tech-savvy, but a large

handful of people stay disconnected. Another struggle a number of businesses faced was the

inability to create an efficient online-in person, hybrid business model. Businesses were not

prepared or trained for the mass amounts of returns they began to receive due to the spike in

online orders. (Shop 5) This caused most businesses to collapse into chaos and be forced to

close. Training all employees new techniques would take an extensive amount of time and a

large sum of money, thus some businesses just opted to close instead. This displays the toll the

pandemic took as it forced businesses to attempt to adjust to a whole new way of living in a

rather limited amount of time. The stress and shock of the changes the pandemic forced

destroyed a large amount of big and small businesses.

On the other hand, consumers have become more money conscious during and after the

pandemic. A trend of money conscious shopping has been recorded, as consumers tend to be

more drawn to “everyday low-price” stores, and chains that offer rewards or loyalty programs.

(Shopping 6-10) This shows how the loss of jobs and economic crisis of the pandemic has, and

still is, affecting the world today. With a loss of jobs came a decrease in funds for most families

causing them to budget greatly, which is a habit that seems to have stuck with consumers.
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Though a large number of people have said that they feel financially secure and financial worry

in America has dropped to 23% (Shopping 3), a handful of people still use money saving habits

they picked up during the pandemic. The financial security seen today could have been

influenced by money conscious consumers that came out of the COVID-19 crisis. “‘In my eyes,

it's cheaper to go out because then you don't have to pay shipping or other fees that can get taxed

on.’ Cabrini 2021 graduate, Alyssa Kuryluk, said as she sways away from the concept of online

shopping.’” (Alvarez 8) The bargain of physical shopping is another idea financially conscious

consumers began to focus on as funds grew lower. Despite the convenience of online shopping,

in person shopping seemed more economically logical. The COVID-19 outbreak has influenced

several changes in shopping habits of consumers and increased financial awareness is one of

them.

Furthermore, online shopping rapidly gained traction during the pandemic as it was

unsafe to go out shopping and was far more convenient. Online shopping has had the most

influence on younger individuals, such as gen z and millennials. About 40% of all online

consumers are college students and spend about $60 billion on products daily. (Alvarez 3) This

displays that the younger generations have been influenced by online shopping the most. With

the convenience of online and the busy schedules of college and high school students, it is easy

to understand the increased use of online shops among millennials and gen z. social media is also

a major catalyst to the online consumerism of young people, as influencers can promote products

and are able to link stores in their posts. (Alvarez 1-2) Instagram models can promote smoothies

or supplements they consume and young people that look up to them can buy these with the click

of a button. With the mix of social media influence and ability to quickly order any product

offered, it creates an ideal environment for online businesses to thrive. Despite the convenience
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and social influence of online shopping, 72% of people said that they would shop at in person

locations with the end of the pandemic. (Alvarez 10) Though the pandemic created a strong habit

amongst all individuals, it has not completely stomped out the sentiment that people hold for in

person establishments.

As can be seen, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused consumer habits, such as money

management and online shopping, to form, as well as an increase in the destruction of

businesses. A large number of stores struggled with their ability to transition to an online-in

person hybrid model and lack of resources to gain an online platform, which destroyed chain and

small businesses. Despite the struggle for businesses consumers were able to develop healthy

money habits and were able to shop with the convenience and safety of online stores. It is safe to

say, the pandemic has completely changed the dynamic of shopping observed in consumers.
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Works Cited

Alvarez, Marcus. "COVID-19 and the online shopping phenomenon." UWIRE Text, 4 Oct.

2021, p. 1. Gale Academic OneFile,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A677869631/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=182fda2b.

Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.

Center of Disease Control. "CDC, Washington State Report First COVID-19 Death."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Feb. 2020,

www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0229-COVID-19-first-

death.html#:~:text=The%20Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control,including%20one%2

0patient%20who%20died. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.

"More than 8,700 chain stores have closed in 2021, analysis shows; Pandemic and shift to

online shopping has hit demand for high-street shops, with fashion stores the worst

affected." Guardian [London, England], 5 Sept. 2021, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A676302413/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-

AONE&xid=8a6632a3. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.

"Shop 'til you drop... your phone: Tensions between consumer convenience and

sustainable business practices are reshaping our shopping habits." The Chronicle of

Higher Education, vol. 68, no. 1, 3 Sept. 2021, pp. 28+. Gale Academic OneFile,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A682131099/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-

AONE&xid=1be41bb0. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.

"Shopping behaviors become permanent." Chain Drug Review, vol. 43, no. 7, 26 Apr.

2021, p. 55. Gale Academic OneFile,

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link.gale.com/apps/doc/A661255826/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-

AONE&xid=6fcf6224. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.