Slovaks change shopping behaviour

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the shopping behaviour of the Slovaks. They no longer go shopping every day and show a lower interest in higher added value goods, e.g. non-grocery goods. Customers have reduced their visits to the shops, which increased the average value of the shopping. Retailers recorded that customers have been buying all necessary items in one shop since mid-March. Besides, people more often buy groceries and toiletries online. The data of the company Nielsen showed that the average annual increase in the revenues was 18.9 percent during the first weeks in March after pandemic outbreak. People stockpiled their households with mass purchases. In April, the retail revenues dropped by 4.3 percent y/y on average. According to the chairman of the Slovak Modern Trade Alliance (SAMO), Martin Krajcovic, the situation improved in May. In June, the retail revenues once again showed only a minimum annual increase by 1 percent. According to Krajcovic, Slovak retailers are ready for the second wave of the pandemic.