Our most recent Deloitte State of the Consumer Tracker drew from thousands of consumers surveyed in 18 countries, in a snapshot captured from 4-8 August, 2020. And while the biggest takeaway may be how little movement has taken place, there are subtleties to draw upon.
The most striking set of statistics for me personally was to peer into the data and see how my fellow European consumers answered questions regarding the month of August when many of us traditionally take time off. I looked at the data for the European countries covered by our tracker, looking at travel, or categories associated with going on holiday with friends and family—alcohol, restaurants, fuel for the car, even buying a book to read on the beach. Sadly, all the numbers were negative, with consumers throughout the continent seeming to imply that less of us would be heading to the beaches in Southern Europe or hiking in the Alps.
But I take hope in this. For to preserve resources now is to declare a better tomorrow. Even amidst these unsure times, there is a strong sense of hope that normality across all ecosystems will be back. And as we navigate this shift, I am sure each one us will develop resilience to emerge stronger in a better tomorrow.
At Deloitte we are confident that the future of “better normal” will emerge—and we will be here for you—to help you thrive in the new future.
To learn more about the Deloitte State of the Consumer Tracker, visit the page to gain timely insights on the state of the consumer. The results from these continuous bi-weekly surveys will examine the underlying drivers of shifts in consumer behavior as people confront potential waves of COVID-19 resurgence and its long-term impact on the global economy.
Leon Pieters is the Consumer Industry leader for Deloitte Global. In this role he has responsibility for overseeing Deloitte Global’s four consumer sectors: Automotive; Consumer Products; Retail, Wholesale & Distribution (RWD); and Transportation, Hospitality & Services (THS). Leon is charged with setting the overall strategic direction and go-to-market strategy for the practice. Currently a consulting partner in the Netherlands firm, Leon has more than 18 years of experience working with large multinationals, especially in the food & beverage space, on strategy & transformation projects across the major countries in Europe and in the United States. His key areas of expertise include supply chain strategy, operating models, process optimization, technology enablement and digital transformations. Leon is a sponsoring partner of the LGBT initiative (GLOBE) of Deloitte Netherlands and is a Board Member of Workplace Pride, the international organization for inclusiveness of LGBT employees in the workplace.