Brick and mortar vs online: Singapore consumers’ pandemic choices

Despite the government’s advice to stay at home and practise social distancing, it appears the Singaporean consumer prefers in-store to online shopping.

Why it matters

While shopping shifted online during the pandemic, consumer preference for brick and mortar remains high in Singapore, with a report by market research firm YouGov suggesting that after COVID-19 ends, consumers will return to the shopping channel they prefer.

Five findings

• Eight in ten (80%) Singaporeans have shopped online in the past three months, slightly less than the 85% who have shopped in-store.
• Brick and mortar is preferred for everyday essential items, such as household food and drink (55%), personal care items (41%), household cleaning supplies (37%) and medicine (30%).
• Clothing (33%) is the only discretionary item in the top five most purchased items in-store.
• A third (33%) say adhering to social distancing measures is a barrier to shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.
• The main motivation for online shopping is home delivery and it is the preferred channel for discretionary items like clothing (39%), footwear (19%) and furniture/home decor (14%).

Sourced from YouGov