Have you given much thought to what kind of things you will and won’t do once the economy and society opens up after the coronavirus shutdown? A Mower study finds people will be most comfortable going to work, visiting family and going to the doctor or dentist. A third or more would do those activities on day one after reopening the economy.
Vice President and Managing Director Stephanie Crockett says only about one-in-five say they’d be ready to go to a restaurant, the movies, a mall, or fly in an airplane. Their study is meant to help businesses overcome fears.
“How are they able to provide an environment where their patrons and their guests are feeling as safe as possible? If you’re a restaurant that’s communicating that you’re making adjustments to your floor plan, that you’re limiting the number of people that are coming, that you’re doing an extraordinary amount of sanitation and improving the air quality, those kinds of things will help us increase that 20% a little bit higher.”
Things such as a vacation by car, or going to a beach or park, fall in the middle – about 25% say they’d be comfortable. The study of 1,000 U.S. adults explored what day one looks like once the all-clear is received to return to normal, the company explains. While the data is meant to help businesses open up successfully, Crockett says individuals might also take note as you try to do things with people.
“You’re going to have friends that are not comfortable going to a restaurant or bar. So when it comes to getting together, when it comes to the priorities your family wants to set, it may not mean meeting at a movie theater but it could be spending time at someone’s home, meeting outdoors or on a beach. So really thinking about how that will impact those around them.”
Another component ofthe surveyexamined which behaviors we’ve adopted - in isolation or for safety – might we continue. About 40% will keep up better hygiene, 25% plan to go on supporting local businesses and restaurants. And Crockett says 20% have grown fond of virtual get-togethers.
“...to increase the frequency in which they’re able to communicate with people. So I think all this together indicates how people want to be engaging and what we want to keep doing the positives we can pull out of the challenging times that we’re working through right now.”
Crockett adds one thing driving people’s level of comfort in doing things is trust. Another desire reflected in the data is how much people want to shed some of the stress many are feeling. Some have chaos at home while others are alone; people are worried about their health and that of others, and the health of the economy.
