Shopper loyalty and visit frequency have remained stable week-on-week, as shoppers start to form a routine during the lockdown according to Channel Pulse, HIM and MCA Insight’s measure of weekly shopper and consumer behaviour.

However, shoppers are depending more on convenience stores for distress top ups – accounting for 16% of all visits, up by three percentage points according to the data. In contrast, planned top-up and newsagent missions both saw declines.

Proximity, as a driver to a particular store, grew by two percentage points for the dinner day-part and is in the top three shopper needs at both breakfast time and snack time. The snack day-part accounted for 17.1% of all meals in the w/c 6 April 2020, up 0.4% on the previous week.

Blonnie Walsh, head of insight at HIM & MCA Insight said: “The location of stores is playing more of a defining role in which store shoppers choose. With lockdown measures continuing for another three weeks, shoppers are opting to shop more locally, offering up an opportunity for local convenience retailers to capitalise on. As availability issues ease, shoppers are less concerned about shops having stock and more concerned with the distance they have to travel.

“Snacking has increased its share of total meal occasions this week, with shoppers visiting grocery stores to satisfy their needs. With lunch losing share, this suggests that some consumers are opting to eat little and often, rather than the traditional three meals a day.”