One of the top home spending categories is health maintenance. This includes everything from hygiene products to health electronics, such as filtration systems or digital thermometers. As kids head back to school, we can expect customers to invest in the everyday essentials, like hand sanitizer and face masks, that will keep their children, families, and homes healthy and safe.

Trends to watch
Several consumer preferences that emerged with the pandemic in 2020 remain with us. People are still social distancing, and easy reorder and curbside delivery remain as popular as ever. These services have seen average month-over-month growth of 11% since January 2019, and over 70% growth during the months Canadians spent at home last year. As consumers step back from public spaces, ensuring seamless digital and omnichannel experiences will allow them to remain loyal customers.

The top priority for shoppers buying cleaning and health maintenance essentials is low prices, with 36% of those surveyed calling this the most critical factor. The second-highest priority is access to a wide variety of products at one store, which 22% identify as the top factor. Throughout the pandemic, masks, hand sanitizer, and other sanitation products have been the most popular health maintenance purchases—and multiple brands compete for top ranking, indicating more options on the shelf could lead to higher sales.

Data from Walmart and consumer surveys demonstrates that customers appreciate one-stop shopping, both in-store and online. Seamless digital experiences remain high on their list as well, and studies show that 44% of shoppers become repeat buyers as a result of personalized experiences.

In the grocery category, which includes everyday health and home care essentials, online orders have held strong long after their pandemic-fuelled surge in 2020. For customers with high engagement rates, growth was over 200% in 2020, and it is still over 100% in 2021. Customers have also embraced easy reorders of the essentials they run out of regularly.

Spending more time at home means spending more budget on the home. When safety and cleanliness are top-of-mind for many, retailers need to make sure they’re well-stocked in the health maintenance solutions that shoppers rely on, and brands should clearly communicate the availability and value they offer with their products.

Trends to watch
Since many social gatherings have moved out of public spaces and into private gardens and patios, consumers have spent accordingly. Online orders for patio furniture have increased 73% in 2021 compared to 2020. More spending is also taking place in the off-season—sales of outdoor furnishings grew 94%, 91%, and 71% across February, March, and April—and it’s possible this trend will re-emerge through fall.

Last year, consumers took solace in the knowledge that Walmart was a safe place to shop in person, but they also came to appreciate the convenience of online shopping. Pre-Cyber Week online sales saw the greatest YoY increase at Walmart from 2019 to 2020, at 83%. Looking more broadly, 56% of Canadians shopped on Black Friday and 47% of all purchases were for holiday gifts, with electronics topping many wish lists. In addition, 45% of all digital holiday spending was done by the end of Cyber Week.

Many retailers invested in their online offerings as a result of the pandemic in 2020, and those investments may pay off big time as omnichannel shoppers come back for more in 2021. As of June 2021, 31% of US and 20% of Canadian survey respondents had already started their holiday shopping through both physical and digital shopping channels.

In 2020, free delivery was the most powerful incentive driving purchases across all markets. If buyers continue to shop remotely—as they have so far this year—this will likely remain true in fall 2021.

Online shopping is key—but customers still showed up in-person to take full-advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Week sales last year. At Walmart, there was an average spend of $328 across 2.9 trips.

Providing a one-stop shopping experience for home subcategories like furniture, decor and electronics is critical for brands and retailers looking to ensure stability in times of uncertainty—and to re-create the success of last year’s fall and winter season.

Personal care subcategories like hair, beauty, and relaxation products are all about restoring balance, sparking joy, and enabling people to feel their best. These products also make great gifts—an important consideration in the autumn and winter shopping seasons.

Trends to watch
Pandemic conditions have encouraged consumers to take an increasingly holistic view of wellness, leading them to invest in products for body, mind, and spirit as part of the rising “radical self-care” trend taken up by 79% of Canadians during 2020. This is likely to hold strong, as 98% intend to continue self-care routines post-pandemic.

Online demand for personal care products surged in the fall and winter seasons of 2020—and influencer marketing could be part of the picture for the 49% of Millennials and Gen Z who follow influencers, the 88% who discover brands on social, and the 56% who have been influenced by a post to make a purchase. Social media influencers produced 39% more skincare content and received 164% higher engagements in 2020 over 2019, catering to younger adults whose self-care purchases nearly double the spend of ages 55+.

Ecommerce traffic and sales for makeup grew 60% YoY compared to 2019, while personal care sub-categories such as fragrance, bath, and body care showed some of the greatest sales growth of the pre-holiday season. However, for key consumer audiences in this category, omni is an essential: over 30% of Millennials and nearly 50% of Gen Z engage both in-store and online before purchasing through either channel.

Comparing 2019 and 2020, pre-Cyber Week sales revenue for this category grew 80% YoY. However, spending on self-care dropped during the 2020 holiday season and resumed shortly afterwards. This suggests that customers invested more money in self-care during Cyber Week and Boxing Week sales, but during the holidays, they focused their attention on others.

As more personal care shopping and spending moves online, it presents an opportunity for brands and retailers to connect consumers with products that can help get them through the tough times. As more brands are investing in a digital presence to meet shoppers where they are, they are also creating opportunities to connect consumers with the products that can help boost their energy and self-esteem.

Google registers 1 billion shopping moments per day, globally. Make these moments meaningful with omnichannel experiences that empower customers to browse and purchase the products they need, on the channels they prefer.