But the real question is whether these new customers will be returning. We asked those who answered affirmatively to the above question whether they’ll continue to buy online once the outbreak is contained.

Over 50% of new online consumers across all categories said they would.

Virtually disappointing

When lockdowns came into force, it wasn’t long before we flocked to virtual forms of socializing. With an array of video call platforms to choose from, people quickly got inventive, using them to host drinks, quizzes, and concerts.

That feels like a lifetime ago now, so we wanted to check in and find out what events people were attending and if they still held the same allure.

Using Brandwatch Qriously we surveyed 7,573 adults from Australia, China, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK, and the US through their smartphones and tablets. We asked them about a range of virtual events.

Here’s what we found out.

Clearly a significant chunk of people are still attending virtual events. Even the least popular (concert and theater productions) had 6% of our respondents attending. Sure, they’re not exactly sweeping the nation(s), but that’s still a lot of people in real numbers.

Meanwhile, at least one in five people have attended some kind of games night in the last week. With so many normal social options closed off to us, it’s clear people are still trying to fill the gap and have fun.

Of course, we can’t ignore the biggest bar on the chart, ‘None of the above’. Nearly half of people (47%) aren’t attending any of the virtual events listed – that’s the highest % we’ve seen for this option since we started these surveys in April.

The proportion of people selecting ‘None of the above’ stayed at around 40% for several weeks. But since the beginning of May it’s been steadily growing, suggesting people aren’t as taken with virtual events as they once were.

Obviously socializing virtually is a different beast to doing so in-person. And, as lockdowns are eased and we’re able to get out a bit more, meeting up with a friend online for a drink won’t seem so attractive.

We’ve found a similar pattern to the above when looking at social discussion around virtual drinks.

Conversation increased massively in mid-March and stayed pretty high for a few weeks. But it quickly dropped and has fallen week-on-week. In the last week, just 5,600 people talked about having a virtual drink, a 53% drop from the peak.

Of course, this is by no means the end of virtual events. Even as shops and amenities reopen, capacity will likely be reduced, and many will still keep away. So while the hype may have died away, don’t expect invites to another virtual pub quiz to stop any time soon.

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Brandwatch Response Team