Consumers’ behaviour patterns ‘have changed’, businesses are warned

Shifting consumer demand patterns, Brexit planning and availability of labour are likely to be among the most significant challenges for retailers and suppliers across the grocery and home appliance sectors in the coming months, according to the latest insights from the Covid-19 Supply Chain Collaboration Group.

The working group, made up of more than 30 leading grocery and home appliance businesses such as Premier Foods, Unilever and Bosch Home Appliances, warned that consumer behaviour patterns have changed significantly across these sectors over the past few weeks as the UK continues to grapple with the realities of life in lockdown.

Specifically, many more people are now shopping online and customers are leaning towards single shopping trips to larger stores, instead of shopping around and top-up visitsaswasthepreviousnorm. Subsequently,convenience stores and discount retailers are often seeing unusual demand patterns, as was revealed in earlier group sessions.

John Perry, managing director at supply chain and logistics consultancy Scala, which is leading the group, said: “Suppliers should accept that the pre-covid-19 world has gone forever and expectations will now be based around demand in the ‘new normal’.

“Looking specifically to the months ahead, a major question is how suppliers will effectively manage the seasonal challenges of summer, Halloween and Christmas given ongoing industry uncertainty.

“We must also consider the ever-looming spectre of Brexit – preparation for which was already virtually impossible. How will businesses be able to adequately prepare when capacity is already so stretched?”