The COVID-19 context has forced us to rethink our lifestyle at all levels: from work, to hobbies and going out with our friends. Change has been the key word defining 2020, and this has triggered a wide range of emotions in all of us. Reveal Marketing Research wanted to find out which are the activities that Romanians miss the most and to which of them they would like to return sooner.
The study captures the attitude of Romanians towards returning to normal and what are the activities they would like to resume as soon as possible.
- 38% of Romanians said that travel is the number one activity they would like to come back to normal as soon as possible.
- 1 in 4 respondents wants to be able to have family and friends gatherings under normal circumstances again.
- 19% of respondents mentioned recreational activities.
- Only 1 in 10 Romanians declared that they would like to return to “face-to-face” work.
Travel and meeting their closest ones: the activities Romanians miss the most
Travel is on the first place in Romanians’ preferences when it comes to what they wish to return to normal, especially among those with higher incomes. 38% of respondents want to be able to travel again as they did before the pandemic. 48% of modern families, followed by 46% of young professionals say they miss travelling. About a third of single adults declared the same thing, according to Reveal Marketing Research.
Asked which activities they would most like to return to normal as soon as possible, 25% of Romanians mentioned meeting with family and friends. The percentages remain similar for all analysed segments: traditional families score the same as single adults in terms of friends gatherings, each category having a percentage of 27%. Of all the segments, young people have mostly chosen this option, 40% of them saying they want to be able to see their friends and families under normal conditions (millennials – 20%, young professionals – 20%).
Leisure activities are also among Romanians ’options regarding what they would like to return to normal, especially for single people. According to Reveal Marketing Research, 23% of single adults, followed by 22% of millennials claim they want to be able to go out or enjoy their hobbies as they did before.
The new normal: telework and online shopping
Interestingly, returning to work is not in Romanians’ top list when it comes to choosing the activities they would like to carry out as they did before the pandemic outbreak. Only 1 in 10 Romanians mentioned this option. Out of the analysed segments, only 13% of young professionals and 8% of modern families said they want to return to work sooner. The data suggests that Romanians managed to adapt to the new reality being able to perform at their jobs, regardless of location.
Shopping in physical stores is among the last options selected by respondents – only 4% of Romanians mentioning this activity. One explanation could be that stores are still open, the only changes being in terms of protection measures against the spread of the new coronavirus. Therefore, Romanians do not miss shopping in physical stores, because this is an activity they continue to carry out. On the other hand, we notice that more and more people are using the Internet for placing various orders. According to a previous study by Reveal Marketing Research, 43% of Romanians say they shop online during a regular week.