Page 40 - dissertation flip book

APPENDICES 4
Email Interview with Isabelle Szmigin transcript
1) Do you believe that the rate of people switching to online shopping will increase dramatically due to the pandemic?
Dramatically is quite a strong word but you have to remember that online shopping has been increasing year on year without COVID. The additional drivers are obviously safety by consumers and usually small retailers who previously were not online going online. This seems also quite noticeable for smaller local shops. Finally those people for whom it has taken COVID to switch to online shopping may well stay with it.
2) In your opinion are there any ways certain sectors could profit during this difficult time?
Lots of sectors are profiting or at least coping. There are whole new products such as masks, hand sanitizers have become mainstream. Peleton, athleisure etc. The important thing for existing firms is to provide consumers with safe experiences and if they are online, safe quick delivery and easy returns.
3)Has there been any brands in particular whose advertising around the pandemic has particularly stood out to you? If yes, why?
If you mean that they have engaged with the pandemic in their advertising -no and I think it is a difficult one in terms of whether a brand should engage directly with the pandemic. I know that some have used the opportunity to link to family values, staying close etc but I am not sure how useful it is.
4)I read in Drapers that you stated fashion as a form of escapism and comfort will be a key factor of emotional recovery after the coronavirus. Do you believe that it is important for brands to therefore distract consumers instead of addressing the issue head on?
Fashion only very rarely deals with anything head on. But people will want an escape from the pandemic as they are facing it head on every day. I don’t think that brands per se have a requirement to engage with the pandemic unless they have something specific to offer or say. I am not sure that fashion does.
5)In the article you used the term “hedonistic shopping” among people under 25 could you explain a bit more about what you mean by this?
Well shopping for clothes tends to be enjoyable i.e. hedonistic. Today in the west very few of us buy clothes because we need them, we all have much more than we can actually wear or wear out. Fashion is one way of expressing ourselves and who we are. It is very important for our self identity but generally it is a pleasurable pass time, whether that is going out shopping with friends
or anticipating something that you have sent for online.
6) Are there certain ways in which you can foresee the trauma that consumers are currently enduring effecting their spending habits in the future when normality begins to return?
The main restriction will be purely economic. There will be many people who have lost their livelihoods. But in addition I do think that many of us may be more mindful in our purchases, i.e. do we really need this or that. It is likely that many of us will spend more time working from home whatever and at home you don’t need to wear an office suit etc.