Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) American adults are concerned about having access to food and beverages, according to the latest survey by the Consumer Brands Association. That’s the highest level of concern since the beginning of April, when stockpiling behavior plus supply chain disruptions left many grocery shelves empty.
Consumer Brands started assessing sentiment related to the pandemic in early March and has taken a quick consumer pulse every week since. Concern over access to food peaked in mid-March at 77%, and then declined to the mid-60s where it plateaued. The latest number represents an uptick and is consistent with a general sense that access to necessities such as household cleaning products, personal care products, and over-the-counter medicines might become more difficult to find.
Source: Consumer Brands Association
On a positive note, the survey also found that trust in the CPG industry has grown since the start of the pandemic. The percentage of people who report having greater trust in brands that make household cleaning, personal care, and food and beverage products has grown from 37% in April to 47% in September. The number one thing brands can do to continue to earn that trust is to ensure the delivery of high-demand products.
Overall, Americans remain both “very concerned” (57%) about the pandemic and also optimistic about the future (72%), which pretty much sums up the confusing time we find ourselves in.
