Spring 2021 Hardlines

ONLINE TRAFFIC

Stocking Up and Staying Home How Consumers’ Shopping Habits Changed in 2020

T he pandemic has had a direct impact on how consumers choose to shop, and there is reason to believe those new habits will become part of shoppers’ regular routines.

Many of you were the first in your communities to offer curbside pickup of online or phone orders, and recent data shows consumers will appreciate and utilize those options long after the pandemic is behind us. The Home Improvement Retail Institute (HIRI) has been collecting data on consumer shopping habits for more than a decade. HIRI polled shoppers throughout 2020, and its 2020 Home Improvement Retail Selector Study, produced in conjunction with IHS Markit, gathered data on the changes to shoppers’ habits and the most highly impacted home improvement categories. Review the metrics here and consider giving your customers more options to shop.

Across every home improvement category, up to 90% of respondents reported gathering information before making a purchase.

8 Spring 2021 • Hardlines Strategies