Do you think your 'non essential' shopping habits will change post lockdown?

[ConeHat]

I'm sad to say that I dont think I will go back to my old shopping habits any time soon.

I hate online shopping unless its click and collect or with known products with my usual companies.

But... since the shops opened this week I have gone out, got what I need, feeling ready for another possible lockdown.

I have had covid, I have had the vax. It's not due to any fear of covid, just my mindset has changed to getting what I need for the next 6 months in one hit.

Even if life returns to normal I'm worried my mindset will be stuck in lockdown mode.

I just keep thinking everything could close again at any time and I dont need xyz because where will I wear it?

No, I didn't really change my shopping habits during lockdown. We've had Ocado deliveries for years and carried on through lockdown. I generally buy clothes online anyway. I'll definitely be having my hair done more than I used to though as I don't want to get caught out again.

I’ve changed to so much more bulk buying, and I'm sure I’ll stick with this. I get a bizarre feeling of sad satisfaction to see 48 cans of dog food in a big tower, or 15 bottles of body shop shower gel etc. The psychology is interesting. Force me to pay postage and packing and I go overdrive into ‘making the most of it’.

@fluffi

My shopping habits for both essentials and non-essentials have changed, I plan ahead more, e.g. weeks for food and meals, and longer for everything else to allow for delivery and re-ordering if first delivery attempt doesn't arrive.

I prefer buying birthday / Christmas / other occassion cards, wrapping etc in physical shops, e.g Card Factory because wider and less expensive range. If I saw two cards that were suitable for an Aunt etc, I'd often buy both so had a "spare" for following year just in case. That habit came in very useful as I didn't have to buy many cards online during the last year.

Now I will try to minimise number of trips, e.g. I need some family birthday cards for summer so will get those and other stock cards like birth/sympathy/good luck and then don't want make another trip until autmun for Christmas. Hopefully will be able to do Valentines and Mothers day in one hit early Jan! Probably halving my trips to card shops.

I can't see myself wandering around non-essential shops for gift inspiration esp at Christmas or after a hair dresser appointment on a Saturday afternoon either anymore. Not because I'm worried about Covid especially just rather be organised rather than rely on ad-hoc/just in time trips to shops.

Preferred buying clothes online anyway, they have a better choice and can filter to see your size(s), so that won't change. Electricals, furniture and soft furnishings probably will buy exclusively online now too (previously was a mix of off and online), but managed to buy oven, furniture, curtains and rugs without seeing in person!

@fluffi You definitely have the right idea here! Specifically referring to your last paragraph when you talk about buying a lot online! One of the things I've found is a lot of retailers are changing their terms and conditions to allow a more flexible returns policy. This is something I experienced myself working for Land of Rugs: www.landofrugs.com/

It's been really interesting to see the amount of people actually buying rugs online without seeing them in person! Obviously the photos help but they're rarely 100% accurate. But the returns policy does state you can simply return within 30 days for a full refund if you don't like it.

Ilive really rurally so didnt shop frequently before lockdown, havent during lockdown, and won't after lockdown!

I think it has been interesting for many (me included) as to what we need, as opposed to what advertisers and corporations convince us we want. I know a lot of my younger colleagues has been surprised that they have managed to have money ledt over at the end of the month for the first time ever, and its because they're not spending 100+ each month on going out.

I probably won't bother with shops until I can try stuff on, that's the only advantage they have over online to me.

I've always shopped a lot online but look forward to going back to at least some shopping and browsing in person. But I have one new habit I'll keep and one I'll have to ditch:

Keep: much more research/thinking/planning on shopping. So often before I would just buy in person or even online but the shift to buying a lot online has made me better about things like meal planning, or thinking about what I need.

Ditch: the extra luxuries! My food shop has been largely whatever I want, whenever I want for the last year as we weren't spending money elsewhere. But that will have to stop again. I'll probably stop my expensive meat box and will definitely be actively choosing cheaper meals. This week alone DH and I got a quick takeaway one day at lunch, he bought the kids snacks after swimming and the two of us had a meal out together. That adds up and other things need to be cut back instead.

@Waxonwaxoff0

No, but then I never changed my habits in the first place anyway. I never stockpiled and went shopping as often as I wanted.

Me too.

Even if life returns to normal I'm worried my mindset will be stuck in lockdown mode

This isn't a dig at you OP, more of an observation, but for you (generic you) to stay at home and have stuff brought to you means that some people still have to be OK with 'risk' and go out to make stuff, pick stuff, deliver stuff to those of you "staying safe" in your houses. How is that fair?

We've managed to clear a £9k credit card debt that had been following us around for years during the past year when we've been working from home and not buying incidental things while out and about at work. Including lunches/coffee/random lunchtime purchases (I work near Oxford St). It's really opened my eyes to how easy it is to waste money on things I haven't even missed. So yes my non essential shopping habits have definitely changed for good.

We also went for a pub lunch with the DC last week and spent almost £100 which I wouldn't have batted an eyelid at in previous times, now I can't believe we'd been previously happy to spend similar amounts on a regular basis! So I have become more frugal in general, not just with shopping.

Not going shopping for pleasure until shops stop resembling a cross between CSI and Casualty with all the tape one way arrows and perspex jails and masks.

Will not access any settings requiring vaccination passports despite being fully done now - I don't agree with it on principle.

I'm January households saved £15bn. That's 3x what was saved in a typical month pre-Covid.

That's a huge behaviour change. And a lot of pent up demand.