Post-COVID buying behaviour changes to trigger travel retail rethink

According to a new consumer insights report, there are positive signals for the industry regarding global travellers’ planned shopping trends, but significant behavioural changes across all shopper segments are to be expected.

The report, published by industry research agency m1nd-set, is the latest in a series of studies focusing on how travellers from all world regions will change their shopping behaviour in post-pandemic travel retail environment.

The report focuses in particular on how global travel retail shopping behaviour will vary across diverse segments in the post-COVID travel context.

However, one thing it is certain of is that travel retail will not be the same as it was prior to the pandemic and that travel retail stakeholders will need to rethink their strategies and the entire approach to the channel in order to remain relevant to consumers.

Peter Mohn, CEO and owner at m1nd-set underlined the need for businesses to rethink the business model, given the increasing influence of the internet both for shopping and as a source of information during the pandemic.

He says: “While the shift to online is not new, COVID-19 has served as an accelerator in the process, leaving businesses no choice but to create new experiences in the digital space.

“As second waves of the pandemic continue to surge and protective measures, abandoned only recently, are reintroduced to stem the spread of the disease, consumers will continue to shop online for goods, which they were previously used to shopping for in physical stores.

“It’s imperative therefore that all industry stakeholders experiment with new online strategies to ensure they will remain relevant to consumers in the long-term.

“The way in which airports, cruise and ferry companies, airlines and their respective commercial partners communicate with passengers will undeniably require a significant overhaul and some serious reimagining.

“The new normal, post-pandemic travel retail environment will require brands and retailers to work together to offer more tech-enabled and engaging online shopping experiences for customers. This will inevitably require investment into new, more interactive content for the digital retail environment, as well as more training of sales associates on how to engage with customers online.”