No one knows what life will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic, but experts are ideating. For starters, workplaces may have to reconsider layouts, and how we engage with one another may never be the same – handshakes and blowing out birthday candles, for example, could be a thing of the past. But, will people change how they shop? 

When governors began instituting shelter-in-place orders in March, nonessential businesses closed, but grocery stores, pet shops, pharmacies, and other essential businesses remained open, though they began to operate differently. Curbside pickup, which allows customers to shop for goods online and retrieve items outside of the store or in the parking lot, without leaving the comfort of their car, is a service most stores have offered. However, it’s grown in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Our team surveyed 1,021 people who had made at least one shopping trip since the onset of shelter-in-place orders in March when the community spread of COVID-19 became a serious concern. With the increased availability of curbside pickup, we wanted to know if more shoppers were making the switch and why. Our findings reveal which generations most rely on curbside pickup, how often people use it, what their experience is like, and how it’s perceived in terms of stress, safety, and convenience. Read on to discover if curbside pickup may be what a post-COVID-19 future looks like. 

 

Many People Rely on Curbside Pickup

When the entire country shut down, grocery shopping remained a necessity. While shoppers wore masks on trips outside of the home, people shared a sense of panic. Curbside pickup might have become the norm across the board because it encourages safety and helps to curtail fear.

According to our findings, 58% of people reported having used curbside pickup since March due to COVID-19. However, 32% of shoppers had used it for the first time, perhaps because more stores are promoting the service as safer. Of the people surveyed, parents (66%) and millennials (63%) were the most likely to use curbside pickup. For those with kids in tow, browsing online, then having goods delivered right to the car could be more convenient. 

But curbside pickup doesn’t mean fewer trips to the store. People who used the service were more likely to make multiple shopping trips per week, compared to those who had not used curbside pickup. However, both types of shoppers were most likely to shop every two weeks.

 

Less Time, Less Money, More Satisfaction

Since the onset of COVID-19, a routine shopping trip took an in-store shopper about 37 minutes, but curbside pickup only required 24 minutes, which saves nearly 15 minutes. For some, that may be the drive from home and back. 

However, curbside pickup is more than a time-saver; it costs less, too. Unlike grocery delivery, which requires an additional fee, curbside pickup usually matches an in-store experience. And, if there is a fee, it’s typically less than $5 – a small price to pay for convenience. We found that a routine curbside pickup shopping trip cost people $78.12 on average, but an in-store experience averaged $86.06. 

People who used the curbside pickup service, overall, reported being 1.6 times more satisfied with their shopping experience compared to in-store shoppers. This could be because of the reasons mentioned above (less time and less money spent). However, as our research shows, it could also be due to shoppers using curbside pickup being less likely to encounter the goods they desire out of stock.

 

The Convenient Way to Shop 

According to experts, the COVID-19 pandemic has fostered a collective trauma, and they’re prepared to deal with “deaths from despair.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that we all cope with stress differently and recommends that we find ways to deal with this challenging time, for ourselves and our family. If changing how you shop lessens your overall worry about contracting or spreading the virus, then go for it – and you wouldn’t be alone in this. 

The majority of both types of shoppers we surveyed found curbside pickup to be less stressful, more convenient, and safer. Fifty-nine percent of people believed curbside pickup to be less stressful than in-store shopping, and baby boomers (61%) were most likely to say this. Seven in 10 baby boomers were also more likely to categorize curbside pickup as safer than the in-store experience. Of the 59% of shoppers who found curbside pickup more convenient than in-store trips, 61% were millennials.

 

What’s Special About Curbside?

Much like having goods delivered, arranging for curbside pickup can be done from the comfort of your home where you may browse cabinets and the fridge for items that need to be repurchased, then order them on the spot. But that’s not the only benefit of curbside pickup, according to respondents. 

According to the shoppers in our study, one of the perceived benefits of curbside is less social interaction, which given the spread of COVID-19, could make a difference in slowing the spread of the disease. Seventy-one percent of shoppers found value in the limited social interaction involved with curbside pickup. Three in four millennials rated it a benefit, the most significant percentage of the three generations surveyed.

Following less social interaction, 56% of shoppers found curbside pickup beneficial because it decreases the likelihood of impulse buying. The Food and Drug Administration reports that buying more than we need could lead to shortages, so this is an advantage for everyone. 

 

Returning Customers

Of the essential businesses open since the onset of COVID-19, grocery stores (85%) were where most shoppers utilized curbside pickup, followed by beauty and personal care operations (33%) and pet shops (32%). And those who tried the service were likely to reuse it. According to our findings, of the shoppers who’d used curbside pickup during the pandemic, 41% were very or extremely likely to use the service post-pandemic. Only 7% reported that they would not. 

Post-Pandemic Future Includes Curbside Pickup

Life after COVID-19 remains a wild card, and it’ll take some months (or years) before a vaccine is developed. As American businesses liven up in the meanwhile, it seems there are some lifestyle changes people made under lockdown that they’ll adopt in the post-pandemic world, and curbside pickup is one of them. Our findings show that, compared to in-store experiences, shoppers find curbside pickup to be a time-saver, more affordable, less stressful, and worth using again. 

Leith Cars knows it’s essential to get you to your curbside pickup, so we offer the best deals on both new and used cars at auto locations throughout North Carolina. To help you achieve efficiency in other areas of your life, we first want to provide you with a safe and convenient driving experience. If there’s a specific make, model, year, or special deal you’re looking for, visit us at LeithCars.com, and let’s get you behind the wheel today. 

Methodology

We conducted a survey of 1,021 people who had made at least one shopping trip since the onset of the COVID-19 health pandemic (defined as early March of 2020). Respondents were then asked to answer questions about their shopping experiences and perceptions.

Forty-seven percent of our respondents identified as female, 53% identified as male, and less than 1% identified as a gender not listed on our survey. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 89 with a mean of 39 and a standard deviation of 13.3.

Fifty-five percent of our respondents were millennials, 25% were from Generation X, 15% were baby boomers, and 5% were other.

Limitations

It is possible that with more respondents from each demographic, we may have been able to gain better insight.The findings on this page rely on self-report and, as such, are susceptible to exaggeration or selective memory.

No statistical testing was performed. The claims listed above are based on means alone and are presented for informational purposes.

Fair Use Statement

Know someone who could benefit from our research on curbside pickup? We hope you’ll share the information in this project with them for noncommercial reuse. All we ask is that you link back here, so shoppers can view the entire project and read the methodology and limitations. This also gives credit to the contributors whose efforts made this study possible.

 

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