TWC 2020 STUDY
What are consumers saying?
- 1052 consumers were surveyed online, on 21st & 22nd October 2020.
- 48% men, 52% women.
- We spoke to people of all income levels.
- 98% of respondents have responsibility for their households’
shopping.

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It’s not all going online. It’s about
going ‘local’ too:
Versus
28%
I will try to
do more of
my food and
drink
shopping this
Christmas
online
28%
I plan to shop more locally for
food and drinks this Christmas
27%
I plan to support more local
independent food and drink
retailers this Christmas
Q. To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

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• Top-up items (milk, bread etc) 67%
• Items you have run out of 53%
• Everyday items 40%
• Fresh / short-life (dairy, fruit/veg, chilled items) 34%
• Food-to-go 22%
• To buy ingredients to make meals at home 18%
• Christmas food items (mince pies, canapes, cheese) 17%
• Services (paying bills, topping up phones etc) 15%
• Christmas drinks (champagne, fizz, spirits, port, beers) 14%
• Christmas items (Christmas cards, wrapping paper, bottle bags) 12%
• I won’t use a convenience store 16%
For what types of products will you use local convenience stores for
in November and December / i.e. in the run up to Christmas 2020?
Comments: 84% of consumers
expect to use a convenience
store in the run up to
Christmas. An opportunity to
offer more/better/wider/more
premium Xmas food and drink
items….to help change the
perceptions of c-stores and
Xmas food?

Food/drinks from local suppliers
or local producers
Consumers like the idea of buying Christmas food/drink items in convenience
stores (% answering ‘probably would buy’ and ‘definitely would buy’):
56% 55% 46%
Having a different range products
than those seen in supermarkets
Sell Christmas food and drink items
(canapes, mince pies, cheese, crackers)
40% 42%
Sell more Christmas
Gift ideas (eg wine)
Hampers made up of ‘local
foods’
37%
Hampers made up of
premium foods and drinks
www.twcgroup.net
Comments: Further evidence that demand exists. Not too late for convenience operators to improve/wider/broaden their
Christmas food range….and shout about it (loud)
Q. Here are some items or ideas local convenience stores could offer, or offer more of.
Which of the following would you consider buying?

I use convenience stores quite
regularly
Consumers love convenience stores:
(% agree)
49% 74% 75%
Local convenience stores are ‘there for us’
(the community) when we need them (only
6% disagree)
Convenience stores help keep a
community ‘going’
59% 73%
I will continue to support my local convenience
store(s) through Christmas and New Year
I am OK with the fact that larger supermarkets
are not allowed to open for more than 6 hours
on a Sunday to allow convenience stores a
chance to trade on their own (only 8% disagree)
www.twcgroup.net
Q. Which of the following statements do you agree/disagree with relating to local
independent convenience stores

I used local convenience stores
more than normal during ‘lock-
down’ earlier this year
Consumers, convenience stores and lock-down?
(% agree):
50% 47% 69%
I have continued to use local convenience
stores more – even after ‘lockdown’
restrictions have eased
Local convenience stores did a good
job/very good job during ‘lock-down’
70% 63%
Local convenience stores helped support
elderly/vulnerable/those isolating in 2020
(only 5% disagree)
I feel as safe in a convenience store (re
Covid-19) as I do in any other type of food
store (only 11% disagree)
www.twcgroup.net
Q. Which of the following statements do you agree/disagree with relating to local
independent convenience stores

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What do consumers think of
convenience? (% agree)
59%
Using local convenience stores
save me time
73%
I typically only buy what I want or
need when I go to a convenience
store
Comments: ‘Time’ is often omitted when calculating the cost of shopping.
Could c-stores argue that less waste is created when shopping locally compared with supermarkets?

www.twcgroup.net
Ordering from home:
27%
I used a local convenience store to
order items by
phone/email/online during 2020
26%
I will probably order things from
my local convenience store by
phone/email/online in the run up
to Christmas 2020
Comments: One of the major ‘convenience sector’ success stories of 2020.
All c-retailers ready for Christmas 2020 online shopping? Consumers were willing to queue outside supermarkets in
lockdown 1 in May because the weather was mild and sunny. Will they be as willing to queue outside in December? C
retailers should expect even higher levels of local engagement this Christmas (84% of all consumers expect to use a
convenience store in the run up to Christmas) – turn some of the local engagement digital….

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Want the full report?
Email: claire@wsale.co.uk