Shoppers move toward pre-pandemic habits
As the province eases restrictions on retailers, consumers seem to be going grocery shopping more often
WATERLOO REGION — As the province eases restrictions on retailers, allowing instore purchases at select businesses and curbside pickup at others, it seems consumers are also starting to lower their guard when it comes to shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guidance from the province suggesting people leave home only for essential purposes has not been lifted, but local grocery store owners have noticed a recent change in consumer buying habits. People seem to be getting more comfortable and visiting the store more often.
“Everybody wants to get back to the normal thing, whether that’s the right thing or not,” said Tony Belfiore, owner of Belfiore’s Valu-mart.
Before the pandemic, the Kitchener grocery store owner said he would see the same people coming into the store several times a week. As the number of cases of COVID -19 rose, people shopped less often, buying in bulk and only visiting once every week or two.
Over the past week, as fewer active cases are reported in Waterloo Region, people have been buying less and visiting stores more often.
“I think in the next week or two, as they open up other businesses and there’s no outbreak, I think that comfort level’s going to go up higher and you’re going to see the norm again; three shops a week,” Belfiore said.
At Bob’s Valu-mart in Waterloo, owner Bob Stoikos said he’s seen a drop in foot traffic over the past two months, while online orders have doubled. In the early days of the pandemic, there were delays with online pickups as the store got used to the system. Now customers can order and pickup on the same day, he said.
People aren’t buying in bulk anymore, likely because they have enough stock at home, he said. But flour, yeast, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are still flying off the shelves.
“I think people have calmed down. They’re not as worried about hoarding, and they’re more comfortable with the inventory in stores.”
Downtown Kitchener’s Legacy Greens grocery store caters to a different clientele, but according to store owner Jordan Dolson, she’s seeing a similar trend. People have been visiting the store a little more often and buying fewer items than they were at the start of the pandemic.
The change has been subtle, she said. As a safety measure during the pandemic, the small store only allows one person in at a time.
According to a Statistics Canada report released on Monday, grocery sales across Canada surged in March.
By the week ending March 21, nearly all provinces and territories had declared states of emergency due to COVID-19. Retail grocery sales during that week rose 40 per cent over the same week last year.
The report contained data up to the week of April 11, where grocery store sales were up 19 per cent over last year at that time.
During Monday’s public health briefing, acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said it’s important that people continue obeying safety measures, even as restrictions begin to lift across the province.
“It’s going to be a delicate balance,” she said.
“We want to make sure that as we slowly lift measures, and the economy starts to run again, we are still able to keep disease transmission rates low.”