Despite concern about the pandemic and being in public spaces remaining relatively stagnant over the past few weeks, comfort returning to stores to shop has been steadily rising. 

In fact, compared to this time in 2020, people are more likely to say they feel safe shopping in person now.  

Another focus for the retail space right now is of course the holiday season and CivicScience data show consumers have significant concerns surrounding supply chain issues. Right now, most holiday shoppers worry their gift purchases this year will be impacted by delayed shipping times and limited product availability – a problem that has persisted during the pandemic. 

It’s likely that an anticipation of shipping delays and product shortages explains why a higher percentage of shoppers are reporting they have already started planning for the holidays compared to last year. 

Those who are already concerned about their holiday shopping are not only much more likely to be thinking about and preparing for the holidays right now but they’re also twice as likely to say they’re shopping in stores now more than they typically would this time of the year. 

These concerns could continue to heavily impact behavior. As of right now, more people have already completed at least part of their holiday shopping compared to this time last year. 

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