People on the Move
[4 June 2020] Our weekly mobility tracker once again shows that people movement is increasing, with an increase of 20 per cent in driving activity in the last week alone, bringing it to 95% of the normal baseline level. For the first time since March, driving activity on the roads exceeded the baseline, showing us that audiences really are back on the move. Since the week ending 5th April, the number of vehicles on the roads has increased by 134%!
Pedestrian activity is also on the rise, with recent warm weather drawing even bigger crowds to parks and beaches. In the week ending 28th May, Google Mobility Data shows a further 23% growth in the YoY activity around parks and outdoor areas including beaches and marinas. Government restrictions on parking at these facilities has also been relaxed, and outdoor sports facilities are now allowed to open, including golf and tennis clubs.
Despite increasing their home delivery capacity, online shopping for groceries remains a challenge for many with slots limited. From the outset of the pandemic, the big retailers (Asda, Tesco & Sainsbury’s) communicated with customers, advising those who were not shielding or elderly to visit physical stores, ensuring priority slots for those who require it.
Shopper confidence is also building as restrictions change and the ‘R’ rate drops, boosting the number of people visiting grocery retail environments by a further 5%. These environments now see 91% of their usual pre-coronavirus audience, reinforcing the strength of Out of Home formats in these locations.
Looking at TomTom congestion data, we can see that rather than two defined rush hour peaks, traffic in Belfast is better spread across the day, peaking in mid-afternoon. This shift reflects the changes to work and school traffic and further demonstrates that people are still out of their homes and able to consume media, without the irritation from traffic jams.
Further Government updates are expected imminently, advising on the further easing of the restrictions. Provisional opening dates have already been provided for hotels and some large retailers, including car showrooms, and we expect furniture and fashion retailers to follow soon after. Additionally, those who were advised to shield from the virus can now leave their homes. As the situation remains fluid and fast moving, it’s important to communicate these changes to audiences in a relevant manner. Benefitting from low production costs and fast turnaround, Digital Out of Home is particularly valuable for retailers who may need to issue updated communications in a very short period of time.
