Key trends emerge from FanFinders survey
- Over 30% of mums spending more during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Clothes/baby clothes and home improvement seen as highest priority items after food shopping
- Over half of mums playing games as a family to entertain their kids at home
- Nearly 78% of mums think online connections with other mums are important to stay reassured during this time
A recent survey of over 5,000 mums, conducted by FanFinders – the number one supplier of 1st party opt-in data in the UK baby market, paints a picture of exactly how the COVID-19 pandemic has been shaping consumer habits. “This survey tells us lots about the evolving day-to-day lives of parents during the pandemic and we’re glad to be able to share those insights with our industry,” says FanFinders CEO and co-founder Alec Dobbie. “There is so much great work going on to keep things moving, but it’s clear that brands and retailers will need an agile and data-driven approach to their online marketing over the coming months.”
What are mums buying during COVID-19?
It is no surprise that over 73% of mums are purchasing their baby products online through Amazon, Facebook, high street retailers, local independent shops and supermarket websites, but priorities are shifting. Clothes/baby clothes and home improvement products are seen as most important after food shopping (TV/entertainment and toys round out the list), while more than a quarter of mums are now likely to buy from an unfamiliar brand. Over 35% of mums also admit to bulk buying food during the pandemic and a further 30% are spending more than usual on products like food, clothes, luxuries and toys.
Life in lockdown
Inside homes up and down the country, the pandemic has thrust parents into the role of part-time teachers and over 40% of mums are choosing online resources including learning games, quizzes, tests, videos as teaching aids. However, when it comes to entertaining their little ones, mums are keeping with more traditional methods. In fact, over half of mums surveyed said they played games as a family to keep their kids occupied. With ‘lack of socialisation with family members outside the household’ one of the biggest concerns to emerge alongside baby’s health, staying connected digitally is another trend. Nearly 78% of mums think online connections with other mums are important to stay reassured during pregnancy and motherhood, while sources of support for mums during lockdown include social platforms, video-calls with friends and family, online courses, online forums and their favourite brand websites.
What’s important to mums?
Designed to help brands in the industry with marketing insights into the ongoing situation, the survey also explored what mums are looking for from brands and retailers during this crisis.
Nearly 68% of mums rank ease of shopping and wealth of information on a retailer’s website as ‘extremely important’ and 75% consider ‘price and value’ the most important factor when making a purchase.
Meanwhile, 95% of mums consider recommendations and online reviews the biggest influences on purchasing, with 42% choosing online reviews as the first port of call.
From brands, mums want to see offers and deals, loyalty rewards, discount for online purchases, competitions and information related to COVID-19 and pregnancy, such as risks.
For retailers, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive about the ‘incredible job being done in difficult circumstances’; but ‘making it easier to return items’; ‘promoting businesses clearly online’; and ‘keeping up the regular sales, offers and discounts’ were highlighted as desirable.
FanFinders launched Your Baby Club UK in late 2013, which offers permission-based marketing to parents through 1st party consent and consumer choice with zero spam. Since then, it has gained over 2.5 million members, counts 80% of the UK baby market as members, while Your Baby Club US launched in 2016 and is thriving (covering 20%+ of the market within 12 months).
