Coronavirus: How Covid-19 has affected consumer behaviour, spending

New Zealanders’ spending habits, stockpiling the essentials, shows many are gearing up to hunker down and keep their wallets closed in the months ahead.

While it could be interpreted that shoppers are stocking up on home essentials such as toilet paper or rice to avoid hitting the shops as frequently as they usually would, retail insiders say these changes in consumer behaviour amid the Covid-19 outbreak could instead signal an intention to pull back on spending – or the temptation to.

Since news of the outbreak hit home in New Zealand at the end of last month, spending in this country, outside the grocery category, and at restaurants, has taken a dive.

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