Shopping Before the Storm is On the Rise

As extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, heatwaves and severe storms become more frequent across the U.S., consumers are adapting their shopping habits and retailers are struggling to keep pace. Those are among the major the findings of a just-completed survey of more than 1000 U.S. consumers conducted by Relex Solutions that sheds light on these changing consumer preferences, lingering pandemic effects and the need for improved retailer preparedness to adequately stock shelves during such events.

Major findings from the survey revealed:

• An in-store shopping shift: When it comes to shopping preference, the majority of consumers surveyed, opt for in-store shopping (53%), while 15% prefer online shopping with home delivery for convenience and to avoid crowds, and only 6% buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) to ensure availability and save time.
• Post-pandemic habits: Nearly 44% of respondents now keep a larger stock of essentials at home, 34% shop more frequently to avoid potential shortages, and 26% have shifted to more shelf-stable alternatives, suggesting a lasting impact of pandemic-era behaviors.
• Trust in large retailers: During extreme weather events, 35% of consumers are likely to switch to large national chain stores for better stock availability, while 23% do not typically switch retailers, presenting an opportunity for smaller stores to build loyalty through reliable service.
• Regional variations for essential items: The Mid-Atlantic region (i.e., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) shows the highest preparedness for extreme weather, with 53% keeping larger stocks of essentials, as well as having the highest percentage (57%) of people shopping more frequently to avoid shortages. The West North Central region (i.e., Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) shows the lowest with 30%.

“What’s interesting is to see the amount of consumers opting for in-store shopping versus alternate methods,” said Laurence Brenig-Jones, Relex’s VP of Product Strategy and Marketing. “This signals an in-store renaissance after the e-commerce boom has been driving shopper preferences to leverage alternate methods of shopping, like curbside, and buy online/pickup in store, which both gained tremendous popularity during the pandemic.”

That said, “Retailers must remain in-tune with consumer preferences especially around demand spikes and supply chain uncertainty, to ensure they are stocking their stores with the right goods at the right time, especially during crucial periods such as a weather event,” Brenig-Jones said.

Click here for more from the survey.