What: Visibility on the US retail market goes increasingly blurred.

Why it is important: food prices go up, covid-19 comes back and makes customers afraid of public places such as malls, leading to a bonus for online players.

In August, several retailers experienced a decline in food shopper penetration, with varying trends in non-food spending. Walmart saw a rise in consumers buying non-food products, while Amazon experienced a decline. The proportion of consumers purchasing food or beverages in-store also decreased. Shopping mall visits declined significantly, both week over week and compared to four weeks prior. Additionally, there has been a slight increase in the proportion of consumers avoiding public places due to rising Covid-19 cases in some areas. The changing seasons may impact shopping behaviours, with online retail gaining attractiveness during the winter months. Retailers need to consider how pandemic-related concerns and changing public health situations affect consumer behaviour and precautions.

Inflation, Covid: the state of US retail