How COVID-19 Has Impacted Customer Dining Behaviours

The way customers choose to dine these days has changed dramatically since the pandemic began. Eating at home rather than dining out was one of the biggest changes since early 2020, with families preferring to spend more time preparing food themselves rather than grabbing something quick from the nearest shop or dining out in the evenings.

As restrictions have eased, people are slowly getting back to nearly-normal routines. Many restaurants have reopened for indoor and outdoor dining and convenience stores and supermarkets have created safer and easier ways to shop for all to cater for the varying needs of customers. Right now, it’s easier than ever to get back into a routine and in many cases, you can shop without even having any human interaction.

At the pandemic’s peak, it became a worry to not only go out and shop for food, but also to order take away options; bringing food items into the home could also bring in those infectious germs that the whole world wanted to avoid, and the easiest option was to stay home and stay safe. However, after a while, the country warmed to the idea as new protective measures were introduced and implemented, leading to a huge spike in take away orders. This made many restaurants follow suit and open up for take away only, not only attracting their loyal customers again, but keeping their business afloat in such trying times.

How convenience stores and supermarkets have adapted

Customers’ dining behaviours have also caused change in convenience stores and the grab-and-go market over time. There are many ways convenience stores have already adapted to react to the change in customer dining behaviours:

• Hot and chilled displays are carefully placed at key points in a store for increased visibility to encourage impulse buying for breakfast, lunch and snacks.
• Increased range of grab-and-go items to suit a range of customer types, such as vegetarians and vegans, and those with special dietary requirements, e.g gluten-free.
• Making sure staff members can monitor stock levels and easily replenish when necessary without making unnecessary trips around the store. 
• Upgrade equipment to make displaying and cleaning more effective, creating a more appealing selection of hot and cold goods that is safe for everyone.

Convenience stores and supermarkets continue to be a godsend in these trying times, giving customers the opportunity to buy essentials and also providing quick and healthy meal options on the go for those busy customers. Many have adapted their stores to make their customers feel safer when shopping for food items, with this comfortable experience helping them to stay loyal and continue to trust their local stores.

From general store adaptations such as social distancing floor markers and protective guards for till interactions, to more specific adaptations to their meal options, such as offering a wider range of individually wrapped products to prevent spreading infection and even retractable glass displays for assisted service where necessary, these adaption are set to stay for the foreseeable future after working so well.

How can we help?

Here at Counterline, we’ve worked around the pandemic alongside many convenience stores, forecourts and supermarkets to name a few. We’ve helped them to improve their offering to retain their customers in such a difficult year, and encouraged customers to continue to shop in their favourite places. 

Some of the key ways in retaining custom while we continue to navigate our way around the effects of the pandemic is to spruce up your shop space and provide better shopping experiences, as well as have a strong grab-and-go offering. Combining this with clean, spacious food displays and ensuring COVID-safe protection is in place to always make customers feel safe and comfortable, you’re well on your way to bringing back those customers and enticing new ones. 

Food displays

We can create customised food display units that are easy to clean and sanitise, and can present pre-packaged food for busy customers looking for something specific. Our displays can include space for clear labelling of products and lighting to showcase each product and illuminate your shelving.

Retractable glass units 

Our retractable glass display units, allow cafes, restaurants and convenience stores the ability to effortlessly switch between self-serve and assisted serve. The seamless design allows an operator to instantly switch from one to the other depending on what is being served. This will also support operators as they negotiate their businesses in the time of COVID-19.

To see more equipment and products from Counterline, browse our website or get in touch if you need specific requirements and we’ll do our best to help!

Speak to Counterline about customised counters and displays.

As the leader in customised foodservice counters and displays with years of experience in the industry, we’re ready to help you take the next step. For more information about what we do and how we can help, take a look at our website or give the Counterline team a call on 0151 548 2211.