How COVID-19 has changed the way we shop

[snoop1130]

 

The ongoing outbreak is affecting our lives in various ways and going to grocery shopping is no exception. Gone are days when we stopped at a supermarket to pick up a few things on the way home from work. Equally, there’s no more dropping by the fresh market in the neighborhood in the vague hope the stalls might still have some tasty fruit and veg left.

 

With the lockdowns and curfews in Thailand’s capital and other red zone provinces, our grocery shopping has changed dramatically. The changes are also fuelled by the fact that a lot of Thai consumers have turned to cyberspace to shop since the pandemic hit more than a year ago.

 

No one can predict how long these changes will last or whether they will continue once the COVID crisis is over. But many of the ways we’ve adapted our grocery shopping are likely here to stay.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/how-covid-19-has-changed-the-way-we-shop/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-08-16

 

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[fangless]

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai consumers have turned to cyberspace to shop since the pandemic hit more than a year ago.

And of course Thailand picks the perfect time to ban the sale of alcohol online just at a time when if it was still allowed  it could stop many unnecessary trips to the booze shops!

[Chomper Higgot]

It’s not just shopping.

 

My kids both got jobs with different companies during the Pandemic, my son went into the office once and has since worked from home, my daughter never went into the office, worked from home throughout and is in the process of moving to another company which is offering ‘working from home’ as an option that has no impact on the salary offered.

 

Its not just youngsters, all manner of hitherto office based jobs are now being offered with a remote working option.

 

Happy news for people with skills that can be used online to sell and who might want to live somewhere remote from were they work and are paid.

 

 

 

 

[Aussieroaming]

Its a bit hard for Covid not to affect my shopping when most retail shops have been closed for weeks and weeks and grocery store lines are diminished or run out.

[topt]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Gone are days when we stopped at a supermarket to pick up a few things on the way home from work. Equally, there’s no more dropping by the fresh market in the neighborhood in the vague hope the stalls might still have some tasty fruit and veg left.

Pretty much no change where I am except the closest market has lost a lot of its traders. The fresh veg stall is still there everyday however. Big C Extra shop pretty much as normal......YMMV

 

2 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

grocery store lines are diminished or run out.

Not where I shop and the items I shop for.......

Some places it may be an issue but my no means universal.

[Bangkok Barry]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Gone are days when we stopped at a supermarket to pick up a few things on the way home from work. Equally, there’s no more dropping by the fresh market in the neighborhood

Really? My local supermarkets are open as usual. My local fresh markets are open as usual. I've been watching videos of someone walking in Bangkok where the streets are filled with people shopping in the markets and buying street food.

[MrJ2U]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

there’s no more dropping by the fresh market in the neighborhood in the vague hope the stalls might still have some tasty fruit and veg left.

We love going to the markets.  Lively and fresh produce.  You never know what you may run into.

 

Of course it's different during the pandemic.  But I wear a mask and try to be in and out as quickly as possible.

 

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

3 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

But I wear a mask and try to be in and out as quickly as possible.

 

This topic is about shopping and not sex under government advice......????

[Scott Tracy]

Sorry. Not changed the way I shop...or rather, the way the wife shops. Takes the car, does a 10 minute journey to get nom cheen noodles. Just that, the noodles. 15 baht.

Grocery shopping from Macro once a month, Big C and Tesco Lotus perhaps once a week. Local shopping is an excuse for the wife to get out of the house...once a day.

Oh, and fresh markets anytime we go to the big supermarkets, too. And sometimes the local markets, Monday, Thursday and Saturday. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Scott Tracy
Added last paragraph.

[MrJ2U]

7 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

This topic is about shopping and not sex under government advice......????

Funny!

[sherwood]

15 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s not just shopping.

 

My kids both got jobs with different companies during the Pandemic, my son went into the office once and has since worked from home, my daughter never went into the office, worked from home throughout and is in the process of moving to another company which is offering ‘working from home’ as an option that has no impact on the salary offered.

 

Its not just youngsters, all manner of hitherto office based jobs are now being offered with a remote working option.

 

Happy news for people with skills that can be used online to sell and who might want to live somewhere remote from were they work and are paid.

 

 

 

 

My sister in law tried the work from home deal but got fired.

Her job required her to clean hotel rooms.

Work from home? Get out of here, what a joke.

 

Does anyone actually WORK anymore, you know like build roads and things. 

[Chomper Higgot]

10 hours ago, sherwood said:

My sister in law tried the work from home deal but got fired.

Her job required her to clean hotel rooms.

Work from home? Get out of here, what a joke.

 

Does anyone actually WORK anymore, you know like build roads and things. 

It seems you’ve been laboring (pun intended) under the misunderstanding that the purpose of work was to dig holes and lug heavy stuff around.

[Chomper Higgot]

I wonder how the lockdowns are effecting restaurants and food sellers.

 

Pre-lockdown restaurants paid high rents/purchase prices to secure premises in locations convenient for their customers, high ‘foot traffic’, ‘access and parking facilities’ etc.

 

The lockdowns have produced a boom in food ordering which frees the restaurant/vendor from needing to be at these high cost locations.

 

I know of a dozen or more restaurants that have closed but that are now selling food for delivery and I know of food vendors who are now operating directly from their homes.

 

I suspect some of these businesses are seeing higher profits from food delivery than they were getting from running ‘in town’ outlets.