The summer’s rise in coronavirus infections did not dampen the likelihood of Americans to engage in consumer behavior that involves visiting public places.
Almost six in 10 Americans say they are someone in their household have visisted a grocery store in the past two days, according to the Franklin Templeton-Gallup Economics of Recovery Study. Two in 10 say the same about restaurants and pharmacies.
Those figures have remained little changed between June and August despite a summer surge in infections. When consumer activity began to rise in May and June, many analysts believed that a rise in infections would stymie the recovery.
Fifty-two percent of Americans say they are someone in their household have visited a grocery store in the past 24 hours. Twenty-four percent said they had visited a restaurant. Eighteen percent said they had visited a pharmacy.
“The data also offer evidence that consumers’ pre-pandemic habits are important to account for in assessing their likelihood to visit businesses in person during the recovery,” Gallup said. “For example, those who frequently dined in at restaurants before the pandemic are more likely to currently say they have done so in the past 24 hours.”
All income groups are currently dining out less frequently than before the pandemic.