A new survey from Morning Consult finds 24 percent of U.S. consumers do not expect to feel comfortable going back to a shopping mall for at least six months. Another 26 percent were not sure when they would feel comfortable, or offered no opinion.
Half of the respondents in the survey taken from April 7 to 9 said they would be comfortable heading back in three months, including nine percent within a month and 16 percent within two months.
Another survey from retail predictive analytics company, First Insight, fielded on April 3, found 60 percent of U.S. consumers feel that stores should reopen by the end of May.
The surveys come amid some hopeful signals that coronavirus infections may be plateauing in hot spots like New York. Government officials are also weighing the public safety versus economic risks of relaxing social distancing guidelines.
First Insight’s survey found 87 percent of consumers now saying they are worried about the coronavirus, up from 71 percent in the last survey in mid-March.
“We may still have a way to go,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight, in statement. “That said, it is important that retailers and brands continue planning by ensuring they have the right product and price when the time comes.”
at Retail Wire
