PayPal say shop local vital in post COVID-19 world
SUPPORTING the local economy will be crucial as businesses reopen following the post Covid-19 lockdown, according to a survey conducted by Dundalk based PayPal and Ipsos.
Annette Hickey, Vice-President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Customer Services, PayPal, said: ‘ The COVID-19 lockdown impacted everyone and many uncertainties still remain, but there is a silver lining in that communities are coming together in Ireland and supporting each other – not just people helping others but also spending with local businesses and retailers.’
‘ This will continue to be vital as we move forward and take steps towards economic recovery, but change is needed. As our research shows, consumers want to invest in the regions where they live but there is a demand for new ways of shopping and paying, as can be seen with the large proportion of people who don’t want to use cash or touch a card reader.’
The survey involved 2,000 consumers in Ireland, and revealed that 81% of Irish consumers believe supporting the local economy is key to emerging from the current crisis, and 66% of Irish consumers plan to buy more local or regional products in the future.
‘However, while the trend looks set to be shopping locally and in-person for the foreseeable future, with over half (57%) of respondents preferring face-to-face services, cash appears to have fallen out of favour for the majority of people.’
Some 67% of shoppers revealed they are open to trying new contactless methods in shops, with 61% preferring to avoid touching a card reader pad when making purchases.
Despite the increasing popularity of online international shopping in Ireland in recent years, the study showed that people have chosen to support local shops and smaller businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Smaller businesses and stores were found to be the most popular option for consumers throughout the lockdown, with almost two thirds (62%) choosing them in order to support their local and the national economy. Other popular reasons cited for doing so were that consumers had made purchases in these shops previously (38%) and it was faster to get the product (29%).’
Three quarters (75%) of people are more conscious of the importance of community and working together, with older respondents (81%) more mindful of this than younger ones (69%).