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U.S. consumers, wary of climbing coronavirus infection rates, have become less eager to engage in out-of-home activities like going out to eat, visiting salons and spas, working out at gyms and seeing movies at theaters, according to ICSC’s latest Coronavirus Consumer Survey of 1,003 U.S. respondents conducted August 13 to 15. They say a surge in negative news about the pandemic is likely to cause them to cut back or stop some activities entirely.
In fact, 42% of consumers are likely to cut back or stop visiting malls due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and the delta variant. Forty-one percent are likely to cut back or stop dining indoors. Forty percent are likely to cut back or stop visiting personal service establishments like massage parlors, spas and hair, nail and tanning salons. And 37% are likely to cut back or stop shopping or browsing inside physical stores. Meanwhile, 43% are likely to cut back or stop visiting movie theaters.
Negative coronavirus developments already have caused many consumers to change their behavior, according to the survey. The percentage of adults dining indoors decreased from 60% in July to 57% in August. Those visiting leisure and entertainment venues dropped from 37% to 33%, visiting personal service establishments from 45% to 41%, visiting movie theaters from 30% to 27% and visiting outdoor public spaces like beaches and parks from 63% to 47%.
Several consumer confidence indicators declined. Sixty-two percent of adults now engage in a normal level of activity, a drop of 6 percentage points from the month prior. And 38% believe the economy will improve within the next 12 months, a drop of 5 percentage points from last month. Meanwhile, only 29% of consumers think the economic situation is better than a month ago.
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today
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