A quarter of all American and British shoppers no longer see a need for in-store shopping

In the post-pandemic stage of retail, it’s critical to focus on how consumer mindsets, expectations and behaviors are changing and why. Many people relied on online shopping over the past two years to safely and conveniently purchase the things they want and need, leaving questions about the future of brick-and-mortar shopping.

Data from YouGov indicates that more than a quarter of consumers in the US and Great Britain indicate they will not have a need for in-person retail in 2022. We asked people about their thoughts on in-store shopping and 27% of consumers in the US and 28% of those in Great Britain agree that they will not have a need for in-store shopping after the pandemic ends.

Similar shares of shoppers in the US (27%) and Great Britain (28%) indicate they even go out of their way to avoid in-store shopping whenever possible.

"However, most shoppers still show a strong need for in-person retail, with more than three in five consumers in the US (63%) and Great Britain (69%) disagreeing that they will not need in-store shopping in the future.

Findings from the surveys also reveal that people are twice as likely to say they do not go out of their way to avoid in-store shopping in the US (61%) and Great Britain (65%) as those who say they do, reenforcing that there is still a role for in-person retail in the post-pandemic world.

While data suggests that the demand for in-person retail is there among a majority of consumers, it doesn’t necessarily indicate a return to business as usual. Looking at how people describe their feelings toward in-person shopping, a slim majority (53%) of British consumers say they will enjoy shopping in-store the same amount as before the pandemic.

Notably, twice the number of British consumers say they enjoy in-person shopping less now (21%) as those who say they enjoy it more (9%).

In-store shopping sentiments in the US appear to be similar to those across the pond, with 49% of US adults saying they enjoy shopping in-store the same amount as before. Nearly a fifth (19%) of consumers in the US say they enjoy it less now compared to before the pandemic.

Zooming into the 12% of US adults who say enjoy in-person retail more now reveals that excitement is largely driven by younger shoppers. People who express a greater level of excitement for in-person over index as those aged 18-34 (36% vs. 20% of all US adults) and 35-54 (35% vs. 28% of all US adults).