On Shopping Behavior Post-COVID, Happiness, and Choices

Our consumer behavior, specifically shopping and buying habits are not set in stone. Our outlook, the time of day we go, a global pandemic—all these things shift our purchasing patterns and even affect our mood.

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Image: Arturo Rey, Unsplash

Image: Sergey Zolkin, Unsplash

Image: Christina Winter, Unsplash

P&G, Albertsons Say Covid-19 Shopping Patterns Here to Stay

COVID-19 threw everything people thought they knew about their pantries into an uproar. Suddenly, most of us didn't recognize our own shelves. Naturally, we stocked up—canned goods, non-perishables, and toilet paper. We grabbed anything we could get our hands on. But that stress and worry about what we’d eat and wipe with if we no longer had ready access to a store is something that remains as we attenuate to the pandemic.

This Shopping Season Will Be Different For This Reason

It's not just food that will change going forward. The pandemic has changed the market for every product in stores. Just like working from home, consumers are going to be spending a lot more time shopping online. However, our fear is not the only reason we would stay inside. Money shortages have made people more wary of the products they buy, and online retailers allow for more comparisons. And in this spending conscious future, we’ll all be holding the products we buy to greater accountability.

Why Do More Buying Choices Cause Unhappiness?

Just because we’ll be comparing more items doesn't mean we’ll be happy. A small amount of choices can make us feel good about what we buy, but as the number of choices increases, our happiness takes a toll. But consumerism thrives in choices. Companies like Amazon intentionally bombard us with choices so we spend as much time as possible on their store front. It’s important to remember that no one option will be perfect. Instead of trying to find it, look for good enough perhaps?

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