Are consumers ready for lockdown to be lifted?

The UK Government is due to release the government's plan to reopen the economy this Sunday - but will it be positively received by the public? Are consumers ready for lockdown to end - both physically and psychologically? 

The Big Return

Despite a desire to return to ‘normal’ life, the majority of UK consumers are aware that it’s not so simple - and realise that sacrifices will have to be made to keep everyone safe. 

Face coverings are set to become mandatory for airline passengers – despite there still being a lack of consistency over the medical guidance for such measures. The British public are also being advised that guidance on face masks will change - with City Hall has been lobbying the government to change its guidance and instruct train, tube and bus passengers to wear 'non-medical' face coverings. 

Supermarkets are currently preparing to sell face masks - but won't make any moves until the guidance is made official. There are concerns of backlash over PPE shortages in hospitals and care homes - especially as sourcing masks may become an even more difficult. 

Monday Madness

Although the plan won't be released until this weekend, but it has been revealed that restrictions could be relaxed as soon as next Monday (11th). However, a high priority is to ensure this doesn't cause a second wave of the virus - something the public are all too aware of. 

In fact, Streetbees data shows the biggest concern the UK has about easing the lockdown isn't the economy or getting their social life back, it's the health of their loved ones. Over 2 in 5 see this as the biggest priority - while only 6% say they have no worries at all. 

The second biggest concern was what the future holds for the economy, with 27% saying this is top of mind. Consumers’ personal health is also a worry, but far less than that of their loved ones (17%).

In the past week, we've seen the mood of UK consumers - and those in other countries too! - become far more positive... will Sunday's announcement help continue this upward trend, or will fear of increased risk cause a backslide into a more anxious state of mind? Let's find out!

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Note for the curious: Streetbees’ COVID-19 Human Impact Tracker (HIT) monitors sentiments, attitudes and behavioural changes in 20+ countries with a nationally representative sample of over 32,000 people - adding more data continually and providing weekly updates on the state of the world. Please get in touch at hello@streetbees.com for access to HIT platform.