Brits plan to stick with lockdown food habits, research shows

By Liz Wells in Industry News 23rd February 2021

Almost 70% of adults – the equivalent of just under 19 million households in the UK, have adopted new food buying habits during the pandemic that they intend to stick with in the long term, a new study reveals.

The research from ThoughtWorks, a global software consultancy, finds the most common habit formed by consumers is monitoring and reducing the amount of food thrown away. The same proportion also said lockdown had forced them to focus on the essential food items they really needed. This was particularly true among those over 65 (42%), and those who had been made redundant or on furlough (44%).

A third (31%) of respondents said they will look to buy more locally produced food to support the local economy and community going forward.

In addition, just under a quarter of respondents said they had become more conscious of the environmental impact of their shopping choices during lockdown. The same proportion vowed to reduce the number of products with a high cost to the environment in their weekly shop.

The results also showed that almost a quarter of people (22%) were prompted to shop for their food and drink from a wider range of sites during lockdown, and would continue to do so in the long term.

Kevin Flynn, director of retail strategy at ThoughtWorks, said: “The rate and scale of change over the last year among consumers will have long-lasting effects. Things that were once ‘added extras’ that were nice to have – such as as locally sourced products or next-day delivery – are rapidly becoming standard.

“Similarly, people are now used to looking further and wider to get the things they need, and quick to disregard anything that does not meet their heightened standards. This is a watershed moment for the retail industry.”