Wearing masks in supermarkets may help people to buy healthier foods

In response to the legislation of masks becoming compulsory in shops and supermarkets, shifts in consumer behaviour are to be expected.

Some believe that one of these shifts will see customers choosing to buy healthier options, as a result of enclothed cognition. This refers to the effect of our clothes on how we think and act, in which we automatically align our behaviours with the behaviours we associate with our clothing.

In this case, the physical sensation of wearing a mask is likely to act as a constant reminder to consumers that they are living through a global pandemic, in which their health is at risk until a solution has been found. As a result, shopping baskets are expected to reflect the anxiety they feel around their health, seeing a rise in the purchasing of items that will promote their health.

This rise in healthier shopping is undoubtedly good news for the nation, especially with the government’s recently announced plans to tackle obesity by discouraging the buying of unhealthy foods. In response to this, Ubamarket, a white-label app pioneering in retail technology, recently conducted nationally representative research which found:

• 10% of Brits – 4,683,000 people – don’t know how to cook a good/healthy meal from scratch
• 8% of Brits – 3,770,000 people – say the majority of their main meals are microwave meals
• 7% of Brits – 3,162,000 people – eat more takeout food than home-cooked food

Now, with the rise in healthy food shopping, there is sure to be an increasing number of people to be shopping for ingredients to cook their meals at home. One way in which supermarkets can help to streamline the process and help Brits revitalise their health and diets, is through the integration of technology into supermarkets. Features such as exclusive access to personalised deals, automatic loyalty points and aisle sat-nav is sure to help to promote a healthier lifestyle, as well as helping to build consumer confidence for those unsure about home cooking.

Founder of Ubamarket, Will Broome, comments on how technology can help Brits revitalise their supermarket shop:

“The legislation of mask-wearing in stores will help to protect retail workers and customers, and it is encouraging to see that this may cause a rise in healthy food shopping. As people move away from unhealthier options, it is likely that there will be an increasing number of people looking to cook nutritous dishes from home. This shift in consumer behaviour will undoubtedly have effects on the retail sector, and one way of helping retailers adapt to this is the integration of technology.”