Between technical glitches and food worries, retail therapy and sheer amnesia, shopping madness amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been about the essentials for some, and impulse buying for others.
A women overlooks produce in a grocery store in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan DenetteNEW YORK -- Between technical glitches and food worries, retail therapy and sheer amnesia, something has happened to shopping during the pandemic that can be summed up thusly: rubber chickens.
For others, shopping madness has been about the essentials, only super-sized: 10-pound bags of rice; 25-pound sacks of flour; 50 pounds worth of sugar; pickles and pancake mix for a crowd. In the U.S., retail sales tumbled by a record 16.4% from March to April as business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus kept shoppers away, threatened stores and weighed down a tanking economy. The Commerce Department reported that a long-standing migration toward online purchases accelerated, posting an 8.4% monthly gain."It's panic on lots of levels," said Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, a global consulting firm specializing in retail strategy and shopper insights.
That "instant" feeling is key to much of the coronavirus shopping, said Jeff Galak, associate professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How music therapy is helping some manage pandemic stressMany people are turning to music therapy as a way to manage the uncertainties and worries brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Calgary Latest Municipality To Ban Conversion TherapyThe federal conversion therapy ban has yet to be debated in the House of Commons.
Read more »
City of Calgary votes to ban conversion therapyThe city defined conversion therapy as any attempt to modify a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression
Read more »
Pressure mounts on Calgary to pass bylaw banning conversion therapyThe proposed bylaw, which would apply to organizations trying to make money as well as not-for-profit organizations, comes with teeth: Those violating the ban face fines up to $10,000 or up to a year in jail
Read more »
Opinion: COVID-19 has intensified our need for national pharmacareUsing Canada’s collective buying power would reduce the burden on hospitals and alleviate individual financial pressure
Read more »