Page 12 - The Summit of the Americas 2021

INSIDER

New m1nd-set research discloses shopper trends for vaccinated
travelers post-COVID

It should not come as much of a
surprise that people who travel want to get
the coronavirus vaccine, and most of them
want it as soon as possible.
This is one finding from the latest
syndicated research conducted by Swiss
research agency m1nd-set in January 2021
to assess the impact of COVID and the
COVID vaccine on travel and shopping
behavior.
More than 90% of travelers who
visit Duty Free shops will take the
vaccine when it is available, according to
m1nd-set. According to the research two
thirds of visitors are willing to receive
the vaccine as soon as it is available
and around one third prefer to receive
the vaccine after some time, but not
immediately.
The research, conducted in January
2021, was carried out among 2,500 as soon as possible, slightly lower than Post-COVID vaccinated travelers
travelers who used to fly at least twice the global average of 63%, while 38% to seek more sustainable shopping
per year before the COVID-19 outbreak say they wish to receive the vaccine after experiences and exclusives
and who were regular shoppers in Travel waiting a while, well above the global Shopper behavior among
Retail. average (30%). international travelers who want to receive
The impact on shopping and spending The research also reveals that the vaccine will evolve, according to the
behavior is broken down into a number international travelers who want to receive m1nd-set COVID-vaccine research. For
of key themes. These include the impact the vaccine as soon as possible also tend example, 56% of these respondents say
of COVID on the perception of the to be more likely to visit the Duty Free they will purchase more products online,
importance of different shopping aspects, shops on future international air trips compared to 48% among those who do not
such as sustainability, promotions or (67%) and to convert into buyers (also want the vaccine.
digital elements; the possible replacement 67%).
of the Travel Retail channel by other
shopping channels such as e-commerce;
changes in travelers’ engagement with
airport services and changes in habits
at the airport; the impact of COVID on
interaction with sales staff and on the
willingness to try and test products; the
preference for digital vs human interaction
inside the store and the likelihood to shop
online, pre-order and use click-and-collect
options.
The research reveals the behavior
among key shopper segments – including
region, nationality, age and traveler type
for example – with regards to the various
topics studied. Chinese travelers for
example are, according to the research,
significantly more likely compared to the
global average to want to have the vaccine
(97% vs 93%). But 59% of Chinese
respondents wish to receive the vaccine

The Virtual Summit of the Americas Issue April 2021 12