Ipsos Update – February 2021

A large majority of people in 30 countries report changes to their diet, exercise levels and alcohol consumption or smoking since the pandemic began, with almost one-third reporting weight gain. Our global survey looks at how healthy our habits have been during this time and explores attitudes to dietary health more broadly, revealing some differences between countries.

Another global survey focuses on how consumer habits have adapted in the highly disrupted retail and hospitality sector. Across 28 countries, almost one-quarter (23%) say they are getting takeaway food from their local restaurants more often and almost half (45%) have made online purchases more frequently.

Looking at business creation, our 28-country study finds entrepreneurialism is alive and well in challenging times. Either out of necessity or a new interest, three in of those who have started a business in the past year say that they have been motivated by the pandemic. We look at the entrepreneurial characteristics and aspirations of people across countries and examine the perspectives of different demographic groups.

In a new white paper, we reflect on the role of research panels in the future of market research insights. Our team set out the five pillars of quality research which remain important in an environment where many other channels to access respondents and collect data are now available.

“Now or Never” is the title of our new Ipsos Flair report on French society. It finds the country under a cloud of negativity at the start of 2021. This deep-dive report highlights some of the most pressing issues and areas for urgent action. A range of the latest consumer trends, from brand purpose to eCommerce and telemedicine, are discussed by Ipsos experts.

Turning to the US, Joe Biden took office last month with a pledge to bring unity to America at a time of deep divisions. Our polling and analyses tracks responses to the new President while a broader exploration of American society can be found in the new issue of What the Future on Democracy.

Our latest What Worries the World survey provides important context here. We find morale in the US to be at a low point, with 75% of Americans saying things in their country are heading in the wrong direction. It also shows Coronavirus concern is not abating across the 27 countries covered – in fact, it is at its highest point since May 2020. On the other hand, economic indicators from our global consumer confidence study do show some cautious optimism in January.