46 percent of Poles, up by as much as 5 percentage points compared to a month ago, buy more than they are able to use on an ongoing basis. This is the highest result in the history of the Global State of the Consumer Tracker survey, conducted cyclically by the consulting firm Deloitte.

The latest results of the study on consumer reactions and concerns related to the pandemic also show significant changes in the shopping baskets of Poles. The number of consumers who expect to spend more on food dropped by 10 percentage points. Fewer of us also anticipate higher spending on clothing and home goods. The anxiety index developed by Deloitte has also been falling since November. It currently stands at 2 percent for Poland.

The January edition of the Deloitte study is the second in a row showing a decline in the level of concern among Polish consumers. Since November, the month when the anxiety index developed by the consulting firm reached a record 34 percent in Poland, it is now 32 percentage points lower. In the latest edition of the study, the net difference between those who agreed with the statement "I am more concerned than a week ago" and those who disagreed was only 2 percent, and Poland went from being the country with the highest anxiety index in the world to sixth place within two months, and in Europe only Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy are ahead of us.

The number of Polish consumers who point to the COVID-19 pandemic as the main cause of increased anxiety is shrinking. Within a month, this is a further decline of 2 percentage points. There are also 3 percentage points fewer people who are worried about other health problems or the issue of sending children to school. Noticeably, however, issues related to professional situation or employment are gaining importance. The number of people who indicated this reason as a cause of increased anxiety rose from 28 percent to 35 percent. - says Michał Tokarski, Partner, leader of the consumer goods sector in Poland, Deloitte.

We will spend more on travel

We will spend more on travel

Despite restrictions in various countries related to the pandemic and closed hotels in Poland, consumers in Poland declare significantly higher planned spending on travel than a month ago. The number of people who want to spend more on this purpose in the next four weeks rose from 9 to 13 percent. On the other hand, the results of the latest edition of the study somewhat show the effects of quarantine and staying at home more often than usual. There are 6 percentage points more respondents who predict they will increase spending on electricity or heating, and 4 percentage points more of those who expect higher cable television bills. This may also explain the continued slight increase (+1 percentage point) in planned spending on electronics (17 percent). Meanwhile, the number of respondents declaring that they will spend more on maintaining an apartment or house (such as rent or rental-related costs) in the next month rose from 16 to 24 percent, as well as on furniture (15 percent).

Significant changes are also visible in the food basket of the Polish consumer. After increased spending on food and alcohol before Christmas and New Year's Eve, Poles are now planning to spend definitely less on these shopping categories. Only slightly more than one quarter of us will spend more on groceries in the coming weeks, while a month ago as many as 38 percent of respondents said so. The number of consumers who declare that they will increase spending on alcohol in the near future also fell from 18 to 13 percent, - says Kamil Kucharczyk, Associate Director in the Financial Advisory Department, Deloitte.

The expert adds that the number of Poles who want to spend more on takeaway food remains at a similar level (+1 percentage point).

Within a month, the number of consumers in Poland who plan to spend more on clothing (17 percent) and on everyday household goods (25 percent) in the coming weeks fell.

Big brands are gaining

Big brands are gaining

Right after Germans, Poles are the most likely in the world to buy food products in brick-and-mortar stores. As many as 90 percent of us said so, which is only 1 percentage point less than Germans. Behind Poles are Italians (89 percent), Irish, Canadians, and Japanese (88 percent each). We still cannot convince ourselves to buy food online. Only 7 percent of us do so, the same as French and Italians. Canadians approach buying food on the Internet with greater reserve (6 percent). South Koreans do it most willingly in the world (27 percent), and in Europe – the British (20 percent).

Products of well-known brands enjoy decidedly greater trust among Poles. We most often choose them when buying home goods (75 percent) and beverages (59 percent). Interestingly, since the last survey, there are 4 percentage points more consumers who choose well-known brands when buying beverages.

Private labels, i.e. own brands of retail chains, definitely win during food purchases. In this case, fewer than one third of domestic consumers trust them. Slightly more than one quarter of us choose stores' own brands when buying personal hygiene products, and 24 percent – beverages. Interestingly, in the case of all shopping categories, we recorded a decline in interest in so-called store brands within a month in favor of well-known and large brands, - says Natalia Załęcka, CMO Advisory Leader, Deloitte.

Stockpiling: what do Poles buy?

Noticeably, by 6 percentage points, the number of consumers who choose products of large brands because they believe they are of better quality fell (32 percent), although 36 percent of respondents still trust them. There are 2 percentage points more Poles who, in turn, choose private label products because they believe they are of better or the same quality as name brands.

To the web for electronics

To the web for electronics

Electronics remains the shopping category that Poles most willingly buy online (40 percent). We also often order food online (39 percent). We still willingly buy clothes online (35 percent), although since the last wave of the study the number of people who answered this way – as in the case of electronics – fell by 2 percentage points.

It can be assumed that these three shopping categories are also globally the most willingly bought online. More than half of Britons and as many as 47 percent of Germans buy electronics on the Internet. In turn, consumers around the world most often go to brick-and-mortar stores for food – such as the already mentioned Germans or Poles – and for medicines. As many as 90 percent of Spaniards buy them in traditional stores, - says Wiesław Kotecki, Partner, leader of the Customer Strategy & Applied Design team.

After food (90 percent) and medicines (81 percent), Polish consumers most often buy home goods (81 percent) and furniture (63 percent) in physical stores.

This is another edition of the Deloitte study in which the so-called BOPIS trend, i.e. buy online, pick up in store, attracts attention. Slowly but systematically, the number of consumers in the country who choose this form of shopping is growing. Like the French, we most willingly order electronics online and pick them up in person at the store (14 percent), as well as clothes and restaurant food (12 percent). We least often decide to buy food this way (4 percent). In the world, the BOPIS trend is most popular in Ireland, the United States, and Canada. 19 percent each of survey participants from these countries most often order restaurant food this way.

Socially responsible brands are gaining

Socially responsible brands are gaining

Since the last wave of the study, there are 2 percentage points fewer Polish consumers ready to pay more for convenience, such as delivering groceries to their home. The so-called convenience trend is currently followed by 31 percent of Poles. 55 percent of them indicate health protection as the reason. This is still the most important reason, but the number of people who indicated it fell by as much as 9 percentage points within a month. Still, exactly half of respondents decide to do so out of time-saving considerations.

– Poles not only seem to be returning to old habits related to stockpiling, but the number of people who decide to do so within a month rose by as much as 5 percentage points and is the highest in the history of our study. 46 percent of respondents buy more than they are able to use on an ongoing basis. This is also – which has not been surprising for many months – the highest result in Europe. Globally, the Chinese are ahead of us. As many as 61 percent of them stockpile – says Michał Tokarski.

Since the beginning of December, the number of people hunting for bargains fell by 2 percentage points (46 percent). In Europe, Germans and Britons most often admit to this (48 percent), in the world – the Chinese (64 percent). The number of Polish consumers who more willingly buy from local sellers and producers, even if they have to pay more for their products, remains at a stable level (48 percent). In Europe, the Irish lead in this regard, and more than half of them choose local products. In Poland, there is also a slight increase in interest in socially responsible brands. 39 percent of us admit that we buy more from producers who responded responsibly to the crisis caused by the pandemic.

About the study

The discussed edition of the "Global State of the Consumer Tracker" study is the fourteenth survey in the world and the eleventh in which Poland participates. The study of consumer reactions and concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic was conducted by Deloitte at the turn of December and January among consumers from 18 countries. In addition to Poland, these were residents of: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Chile, and South Africa. One thousand surveys were completed in each country.

Summary

The latest edition of the Deloitte study shows that 46 percent of Poles stockpile – this is the highest result in the history of the survey and a record in Europe. The anxiety index fell from 34 to 2 percent, and Poland moved from first to sixth place in the world. Consumers plan to spend more on travel, but are limiting food and alcohol purchases after the holiday peak.

Trust in large brands is growing at the expense of private labels, and the BOPIS trend is gaining supporters. Only 7 percent of Poles buy food online, which places us at the tail end of the global ranking – for comparison, in South Korea it is 27 percent.