COVID has seen technology take up the space left by shrinking physical space during the coronavirus crisis.
Deloitte has just released a major study, The Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends 2020 report, on the moment when our physical lives became smaller and digital ones far, far larger.
The findings, based on a survey of 2,000 people, in brief:
Mobile Usage
- More than half (52%) say they used our smartphones more during lockdown, mainly for communication or entertainment. Respondents spent more time checking social networks (35%), streaming films or TV series (31%), and watching TV programmes (26%)
- 81% are using a phone that is more than one year old, compared to 76% in 2018
- The biggest shifts in mobile phone use are using it for watching short videos or live posts (24% in 2019 to 30% in 2020); watching live TV (12% in 2019 to 15% in 2020); and reading the news (22% to 26%).
Connected Devices
- Entertainment-based purchasing has soared as consumers spend more time staying in, justifying increased investment on home entertainment experiences
- 26% of respondents reported purchasing new devices as a direct result of the coronavirus. Laptops, Smart Phones and Desktops saw large purchase activity as 9%, 9% and 5% of respondents respectively reported new acquisitions
- These are mostly upgrades: Australian access to key digital technologies has been largely unaffected as 92% of respondents already have a smartphone (91% in 2019) and 79% have a laptop, unchanged from 2019.
- 81% of survey respondents now have access "any connected device", up from 78% in 2019. This growth is driven largely by entertainment devices:
- 58% of respondents now have access to a smart TV, up from 51% this time last year; and TV has made a comeback as the preferred video streaming device for 18-24 year olds.
- Other entertainment devices followed a similar trend, with the use of video streaming devices and wireless speakers (with no voice assistant) increasing 4% and 3% respectively when compared to the year prior.
- Voice-assisted speakers continue to experience strong growth, with 18% of respondents now owning one compared to 13% last year
- COVID-19 has driven an uptick in gaming purchases as we seek out experiences where we can escape reality, with 25-34 year olds switching their device preference to the console this year. 6% of respondents purchased a new gaming console.
Shopping
- With the new risks of a trip to the shops, online shopping has surged. Online purchasing of non-grocery items increased to 24% in 2020, with 55% stating they will continue this activity
- Laptops have taken over as the dominant device for online purchases, as we perhaps squeeze in a quick shop between video calls. But 46% of respondents are also using smartphones to browse shopping websites and apps, with 34% purchasing a product via their mobiles
- 25-34 year olds have switched to making online purchases on their laptops rather than smartphones
- More Australians are accessing banking services on their smartphones, with 63% of respondents regularly checking their bank balances. Specifically, older generations (55+ years) are embracing the push towards online banking, with 80% of respondents intending to continue following the lockdown.
Streaming
- There has been a 15% upswing in the number of video on-demand (VOD) and music subscriptions in the past 12 months, with 55% of respondents having at least one paid video streaming service in their household. Disney+ is a noteworthy new entrant to the market
- Most of us are choosing to stream our favourite TV shows and films on the big screen – television – rather than on smaller devices. There was a 39% increase in the hours spent watching pay TV and movie streaming services during lockdown restrictions
- However, with stadiums shuttered and live events on ice, one genre we’re streaming less of is sport. Australia’s sport consumption dropped over lockdown, from approximately six hours per week prior to COVID to less than three hours during restrictions.
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