People were more likely to plan their meals in advance, became more confident in their cooking skills, were more likely to make healthy food choices, and were less likely to throw out food.
Approximately 400 consumers responded to the online survey carried out in April 2020, when full lockdown restrictions were in place. Two-thirds of the respondents said they shopped for themselves, with one-quarter having it done by a partner. Most indicated that they had been working before and during lockdown, with most working from home.
The results of the Teagasc research were published in the Irish Journal of Agriculture and Food Research in May 2021.
“The data was gathered during the first lockdown in 2020,” explains Teagasc research officer, Sinéad McCarthy. “This was something never experienced before in living memory. We were asked to take part in a larger study covering 30 countries which was being undertaken by the University of Antwerp. They published a paper last year on the global results while we published our paper on the Irish dataset in May.”
She points out that consumers’ food choices are generally relatively stable over time. However, changes in the life of the individual or the external environment can result in a transition to new patterns of behaviour to fit the new context. In delving a little deeper into these changes in behaviour, the research teams employed a widely used psychological distress questionnaire to ask people a range of questions on various aspects of how they felt during the lockdown.
“We used data driven cluster analysis to identify the groups in the population and two types of consumer were revealed. The ones who coped well with lockdown and those who experienced higher levels of restlessness,” McCarthy adds.
The two distinct groups identified became known as restless restrictors who were more negatively impacted by the lockdown and the Covid copers who embraced some of its positive aspects including having more time for things like cooking and meal planning.
For both groups, the shopping experience became stressful resulting in reduced frequency of shopping and higher levels of planning. Conversely, time pressures related to cooking reduced leading to increased enjoyment.
There was a difference between the two groups when it came to shopping behaviours. “Restless restrictors were more likely to shop online, probably because they were more fearful of going into shops,” she notes. “They were somewhat less likely to go into a supermarket. There was also a slight increase in online shopping whether that was click and collect or home delivery. But the majority of respondents still want to physically go to the supermarket.”
Interestingly, there was a slight increase in supermarket shopping overall with a corresponding decrease in corner shop and convenience store visits as well as in shopping at traditional butchers. This is possibly explained by people’s reluctance to go out very often as well as by an increased desire to get the shopping done in one go without having to visit multiple premises.
One very positive shift in behaviours saw people more likely to cook using leftovers
In terms of attitudes to shopping, both groups found it more time consuming, more frustrating, and not as relaxing or enjoyable than before the lockdown. These feeling were more pronounced among the restless restrictors.
What people wanted from their shopping experience also changed with the ability to shop quickly and efficiently coming high on the list of priorities. Not surprisingly, cleanliness and hygiene were also highlighted.
“Price was not so much of an issue and spending time choosing foods was less important,” says McCarthy. “People just wanted to get in and out quickly. This was particularly the case for the restless restrictors.”
There were also some pronounced changes in behaviours relating to cooking and eating during lockdown. “Meal planning increased,” she points out. “There was some panic buying initially, but this decreased after a while. People started planning more and bringing lists with them. Cooking meals at home using healthy ingredients also increased. People seem to have more confidence in their cooking skills and are more willing to try out new recipes. This may be a function of having more time to spend in the kitchen.”
One very positive shift in behaviours saw people more likely to cook using leftovers. “They are less likely to throw food out. This probably has something to do with being at home during the day and having the opportunity to do something with leftovers. It is also a very positive environmental behaviour. People found food preparation to be quite time-consuming pre-lockdown but less so during it. It also became more important as a form of relaxation and offered opportunities to be more creative. People see it as more enjoyable task.”
These changes may have implications for the post-pandemic world, according to McCarthy. “The time barrier to cooking and baking was effectively removed. People didn’t have enough time for it before the lockdown. This reinforces what was already in the news in terms of four-day weeks and flexible working. It indicates that these things could help facilitate positive behaviours from a food perspective.”
Meals also became much more important for people in both clusters. “Sitting at the dinner table became much more important and meals became a more central part of the day,” she adds. “They help define the day. While we are still in the race between the virus and the vaccines, we need to try to maintain the good behaviours like cooking from scratch, baking and not throwing away food that were developed during the lockdowns.”
The research paper was co-authored by Mary McCarthy, professor of Marketing in Cork University Business School, University College Cork, Dr Maeve Henchion, head of the Teagasc Spatial Analysis, Food Marketing & Agri Innovation Department , and Dr Sinéad McCarthy, a researcher focused on consumer behaviour in relation to nutrition and health in Teagasc.
[ The research paper is available online at scienceopen.comOpens in new window ]