Younger UK consumers have been the “driving force” behind the revival of the corner shop, according to research carried out by Paypoint.
In the survey of 2,000 UK adults, just over half said they visited their local corner shop for the first time ever during lockdown, with this number rising to 68% among 18 to 24 year olds and 59% among 25 to 34 year olds.
The research also found that the majority of people were “hesitant to return to their old shopping habits”, with 51% deciding to continue shopping at local convenience stores to support local businesses after lockdown.
According to Paypoint, Generation Z and millennials are “leading the charge of this new appreciation of corner shops”.
Some 49% of young consumers, aged between 18 to 24, would rather shop at their local corner shop than a supermarket, with the same number stating they “value their relationship” with their local convenience retailer.
The younger family demographic also drove higher footfall in corner shops, with 35 to 44 year olds averaging 9.44 trips per month, ahead of the youngest age group who visited an average of 8.44 times monthly.
Nick Wiles, chief executive of PayPoint, said: “This data clearly shows that the UK is undergoing a boom in appreciation for, and reliance on, convenience retail. Shoppers know they can trust their store to provide a safe environment and well stocked range of products and this is galvanising convenience retailers’ value to communities up and down the country.
‘‘As lockdown continues to ease, the data tells us that ‘convenience converts’ will continue to use their convenience stores for a range of services, from everyday food and drink purchases to parcel pick-ups and drop-offs, utility bill top-ups, cash withdrawals and much more.”
