Page 39 - Adnews Magazine November-December 2021

Australia’s reopening: What the data tells us about future consumer behaviour patterns
There are signs that we are coming towards the end of the pandemic dominating our lives but what does the data tell us about how consumer behaviour will change? Tracey Porter reports.
It’s been a wild old ride on the COVID-19 rollercoaster but as hotspot capital Sydney climbs out of winter’s big dipper to a freedom fun ride through summer some interesting consumer visitation trends are emerging.
In 2020 Australia’s most popu- lous cities witnessed a rapid rebound from ‘the biggest recession ever in June to the biggest Christmas ever in December’ and early indica- tors suggest that the same pattern will be repeated in 2021.
But with Melbourne gaining the dubious crown of being the most locked down city in the world and Sydney only recently emerging from its third lockdown amid fears of a surge in COVID-19 cases and low vac- cination rates in some quarters, questions remain over whether shop- pers will resume normal behaviour post the Delta lockdown.
Curious as to how footfall traf- fic had altered before the city went into lockdown, during the hard lockdown and in the first three weeks since reopening, data intel- ligence company Near Australia analysed where Sydneysiders were going when allowed to venture
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