VOCAL FOR LOCAL: Homegrown Brands Experience Surge in Demand

According to a Nielsen report, globally, there is likely to be an impact on product and brand choices being made at the checkout due to these changes. And this impact may break longtime purchase habits irreversibly…

- Charu Lamba

The outbreak of pandemic and the ensuing lockdown across the world have shaken the very foundation of the retail industry. Even post unlocking, brands are feeling the heat, mostly due to altered consumer behaviour.

“Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, some markets have taken extreme measures to protect their populations by issuing widespread quarantines, halting manufacturing and disrupting supply chains. And even in the markets that haven’t taken such severe measures, demand has been disrupted due to consumer precautions. Globally, there is likely to be an impact on product and brand choices being made at the checkout due to these changes. And this impact may break longtime purchase habits irreversibly,” reads a Nielsen report titled ‘COVID-19 Concerns are a Likely Tipping Point for Local Brand Growth’.

“In recent years, consumers have generally displayed strong preferences for local dairy and fresh produce brands and products versus those coming from further afield. Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, anxieties around origins of products and ingredients are likely to fuel increased demand for even more local sourcing,” the report further read.

Impact of the Pandemic on Local Brands

While the pandemic has been generally disastrous for the retail industry the world over, it has, surprisingly had a very positive impact on homegrown brands. While the initial months were tough for all, post Unlock 1.0, the demand for homegrown brands has increased significantly in keeping with the Prime Minister’s clarion call of ‘vocal for local’.