86% of Consumers Intend to Buy from Brick-and-Mortar Businesses During COVID-19 Crisis But Need Them to Adapt

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 10, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- MomentFeed, the leading provider of Proximity Search Optimization, today released data from a new survey – "Impact of COVID-19 on National, Brick-And-Mortar Brands." This rich data set will be released over the coming weeks to help businesses navigate consumer preferences and expectations now and coming out of the COVID-19 crisis.

"There has never been a more important time for national, multi-location brands to localize their marketing efforts," said Nick Hedges, CEO of MomentFeed. "The winners coming out of the COVID-19 crisis will be those that connect in an authentic way to the needs of their local communities. This new research is aimed at helping national brands navigate through this challenging time."

The survey found that while concerns around contracting COVID-19 are high, with 94% of consumers expressing concern and 93% altering their daily routines as a result, consumers are still willing to support brands that go above and beyond to meet their needs. In fact, 86% of consumers highlighted one or more ways local restaurants and stores can earn their business amid COVID-19.

SURVEY FINDINGS: National Brands Should Act Locally, Adapt Quickly, and Be Visible

Every community across the country is living by different rules that are changing day-by-day. The survey findings indicate that in the current climate, national, multi-location brands must adapt quickly to local customer needs and be visible when they need them.

Act locally to reduce consumer confusion and distrust. Ensure local online business information is updated and accurate:

• 31% of respondents are having trouble finding information about local businesses during COVID-19.
• Those who do find the information they are looking for, may not trust what they find with only 61% of people reporting they trust information about local businesses during COVID-19.
• Distrust is particularly high among younger generations, in fact, Millennials were 75% more likely to distrust information about local brands online than their Baby Boomer parents.

Adapt quickly to meet consumer needs. Here are the top ways consumers report that brands can earn their business in the current climate:

• "Free delivery" was the top way survey respondents reported stores and restaurants could earn their business, with nearly half of all respondents selecting this option.
• 41% of respondents highlighted "Take-out" and "Easy online ordering" as a way to earn their business.
• "Curb-side pickup" was a service appreciated by 38% of consumers.
• While "Commitment to local jobs" was lower on the list, with only 30% of respondents citing this as a way to earn their business, it is still good to see consumers taking notice.

Make sure to be visible when local customers search for your business or business category:

• 73% of consumers use proximity-based search to find local businesses when they need them.
• Proximity-based search was the top consumer preference by a wide margin. In fact, consumers were 121% more likely to use proximity search to find local businesses than they were to go to a local business website.

*About the data
To better understand consumer buying behavior amid COVID-19, MomentFeed commissioned a survey with Zogby Analytics. The survey was conducted March 25-26, 2020 among 1,010 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The survey respondents were equitably located throughout the country and represented a diverse sample of ages, genders, ethnicities, education levels, income levels, and number of children.

About MomentFeed
MomentFeed is the leading Proximity Search Optimization platform trusted by many of the largest multi-location brands in the restaurant, retail, automotive, hospitality, and financial services industries. Proximity Search Optimization is gaining significant interest from CMOs of multi-location, national brands and franchises as a way to show up locally, at the precise moment a customer has a need. MomentFeed makes it possible for national brands to execute hyperlocal marketing campaigns at scale – driving local awareness, in-store traffic, and more calls for appointments and orders.

Founded in 2010, MomentFeed is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. An Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Privately Held Company, it was also named a Comparably Best Company.

For more information visit http://www.momentfeed.com |Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

SOURCE MomentFeed

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