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Global Consumer Insights Survey 2021 - pulse 1

This is PwC’s twelfth annual Global Consumer Insights Survey. With the current pandemic-induced uncertainty, we are adopting a pulse approach in order to be more agile and connected to the behaviour of the global consumer. In this first pulse we present the highlights of our findings – based on the answers given by more than 8,700 consumers in 22 territories. We focus on results for the Netherlands with some comparisons to the global average. We will publish the next pulse early this summer. This will allow us to continue to make comparisons in changing consumer confidence as the world gradually recovers from the Corona health crisis.

33%

shop at local businesses to support them.

24%

are willing to pay a premium for more ethically and sustainable produced grocery products.

8%

visit physical stores on a daily basis.

42%

indicate that they do not shop online for groceries.

Wallet versus heart

During the pandemic, Dutch consumers showed solidarity with local independent businesses: 33 percent of respondents indicated that they have increased shopping at these businesses to support them. Yet, we are still guided more by our wallet than by what our heart tells us, especially compared to the global average of 45 percent. Nevertheless, the hearts of Dutch millennials appear somewhat greater than that of non-millennials: 41 percent indicate increased shopping at local independent businesses versus 30 percent for the rest of the Dutch respondents. We should note that the Dutch retail market is characterised by a relatively high level of consolidation, especially in groceries. This may have impacted the ability of the Dutch to shop at local independent businesses.

Wallet versus ESG

A health agenda (both the health of consumers and our planet) and diversity have taken centre stage in the boardrooms of most large consumer companies. However, consumers in the Netherlands may not be fully warmed up around the topic yet with only 24 percent of the Dutch consumers willing to pay a premium for more ethically and sustainably produced grocery products, compared to 34 percent of consumers globally. It is not surprising that young people (and the not-so-young-anymore) are more engaged with the subject: about 40 percent of the age group up to 44 years old.

What’s more, when making buying decisions only 35 percent of the Dutch consumers indicate they consider things like environmentally friendly packaging, plant-based food and a company’s attitude towards sustainability an important factor. The global average is about 55 percent.

Daily shopping in the Netherlands - Online overtakes in-store

It appears Dutch consumers turn more often to their PC or smartphones than to a physical store for their daily shopping: 9 percent shop on these devices daily, while 8 percent visit physical stores on a daily basis. No doubt COVID-19 is an important factor here. Globally, in-store daily shopping still beats online shopping through these most popular devices (11 percent versus 10 percent).

However, brick-and-mortar is not dead: 28 percent of our Dutch respondents indicate they still visit a store at least once a week. 40 percent of consumers who reported no reduction in in-store shopping over the last six months, indicate the convenience of in-store shopping over other channels as the primary reason for staying loyal to their local store. Respondents particularly like that you can walk past a wide range of products when shopping in a physical store and see and touch the items.

Fashion and consumer electronics continue to be the most popular product groups most often bought online. When it comes to online grocery shopping, the Dutch are trailing behind their global peers: 42 percent of the Dutch indicate that they do not shop online for groceries at all, while this percentage is only 32 percent globally.

Respondents with health and safety concerns as their main reason for shopping online

Safety first?

25 percent of Dutch respondents indicate that health and safety concerns drive their preference for online shopping; this rises to 31 percent when it comes to grocery shopping. Other factors driving consumers to online channels include more favourable pricing and convenience. However, when shopping in-store, less than 10 percent mention health and safety measures to be the most important criteria when deciding which shop to visit. At a global level, increased health and safety standards are, by contrast, one of the most important reasons for consumers to avoid physical stores.

Think twice when spending your online ads budget

There is a clear top three when it comes to digital platforms that are popular among Dutch consumers: YouTube, Facebook, and Google, with Instagram being in relatively distant fourth place. Despite the big budgets for online advertising, ads on these platforms only seem to work for about 25 percent of Dutch people. Forty percent of the respondents in the Netherlands say they don’t click on ads at all. Globally, that percentage is approximately 25 percent.

Back to normal...

Consumers have the following expectations about the return to ‘normal life’ in the Netherlands in the next six months: they see themselves going back to the office or strolling around in shopping malls (about sixty percent of the respondents), but do not expect to attend major sports matches or entertainment events, go on international trips or stay at a hotel.