Fearful and frugal: America views shopping differently

As the U.S. reopens, Americans aren’t much interested in going out and spending.

A survey of 2,200 U.S. adults shows how COVID-19 has dramatically changed behavior in the world’s biggest economy, potentially for the long haul. The data flashes warning signs for the recovery, showing waning interest in public events and material things, like appliances and clothes, and a new austerity, expressed through pantry stockpiling and delayed big-ticket purchases.

This foreshadows an era of fear and frugality that could push a full economic rebound — one that Washington and Wall Street are banking on — out of reach. The data also raises doubts about how much rising consumer confidence will translate into spending, on which the economy heavily relies. And this survey, polled last weekend, doesn’t account for the past week when a spike in cases stalled reopenings in several states, potentially deepening the pandemic’s behavioral impact.

“People are generally expressing that they’ll do certain things less, or at home, on their own,” said Victoria Sakal, managing director of brand intelligence at Morning Consult, Bloomberg News’ partner on the survey. “There’s also a health component to how safe, comfortable and protected people feel.”

Americans — often stereotyped around the world as confident to the point of arrogance —have developed a fear of enclosed retail spaces. While about three-quarters of U.S. adults feel OK shopping inside grocery stores or small businesses, more than half don’t feel safe inside a shopping center, the data show. This is only adding to the woes of malls.

And that new preference for smaller retailers appears to have staying power: Even once the pandemic ends, nearly 30 percent of Americans say they plan to buy more from small businesses than they did before the virus.