“New norm” among Vietnamese after Covid-19

Q&Me is online market research provided by Asia Plus Inc. Asia Plus Inc.
 Overview
Covid-19 has influenced many Vietnamese lifestyle
to create "new norm". We are going to find out what
kind of lifestyle changes Vietnamese consumers
face through Covid-19 through this session.

This survey consists of 2 phases:

1. The quantitative survey reveals the new trend in
Vietnamese people lifestyle
2. The focus group interview with two groups:
single and mom with kids to understand their
insight in-depth

Please note that we use the following terminologies for the report:
- Before COVID-19: Before lockdown / any restriction was announced
- During COVID-19: During the lockdown period of April
- Now / After COVID-19 : After the lockdown
Research method
We conducted the quantitative survey to understand the trend conducted the
focus group for deeper insights

Online quantitative survey Focus group interview

282 respondents over 20 years old (1) singles and (2) moms in HCMC
Covid-19 influences to the new new norm
 Protection changes after lockdown
69% maintains the same behaviors as before while
31% loosens their sanitary behavior attitudes

3%

28%

69%

I am as protective as before against Covid-19

I am still careful against Covid-19 although it is less protective
I only do the minimum protection now

Q. What is closest to your opinion? (N=282)

 Changes in hygiene (before / after Covid-19) - Self
Maintained behaviors Loosened behaviors

Wash hands Wear masks Check temperature Gargling

-6 pts -5 pts -16 pts -14 pts

During Covid 96% 4% 98% 2% 59% 31% 10% 64% 27% 9%

After lockdown 90% 10% 93% 6% 43% 37% 20% 50% 37% 14%

After COVID-19,people pay more attention to their health, wash hand and wear mask
become their habits. While check temperatures and gargle coming home have decreased

Q. Please choose the things you did during Covid-19 period (for your children) / Please choose the things you do now (for your children)
 Changes in hygiene (before / after Covid-19) - Children
Maintained behaviors Loosened behaviors

Wash hands Wear masks Check temperature Gargling

-3 pts -3 pts -27 pts -12 pts

During Covid 98% 2% 98% 2% 70% 26% 4% 73% 21% 7%

After lockdown 95% 5% 95% 5% 54% 34% 12% 61% 30% 9%

After COVID-19,people pay more attention to their health, wash hand and wear mask
become their habits. While check temperatures and gargle coming home have decreased

Q. Please choose the things you did during Covid-19 period (for your children) / Please choose the things you do now (for your children)
 Sanitary actions during Covid-19
Sanitizer for hygiene Vitamins for immunity Gargling for children
demand

People were very cautious about
the hygiene to take care of
cleaning off hands and body
when coming back. Thus, the
demand of the sanitizer
increased.
Vitamins are believed to increase
the immunity and they took more
fruit and juice. Youth tend to go
for the solutions for the
supplement
Kids were protected not to go
outside. Gargling was the
common thing especially among
the kids when they went out.
Some use salty water as they
believe it better for protection.
 Changes in diet (before / after Covid-19)

Food delivery Eat out Eat at home

+11 pts -55 pts +63 pts

39% 30% 28% 11% 18% 66% 68% 27% 5%

Increase Same Decrease Increase Same Decrease Increase Same Decrease

Eat at home has increased drastically while eat out frequency has decreased. Food
delivery has increased although there are some people who decreased the usage after
lockdown
Q. What is applicable to you now compared with before Covid-19? (N=282)
 Changes in diet (before / after Covid-19)
Increase as they get familiar with food delivery during
Covid-19 as the good alternative of cooking at home
Food delivery
Decrease due to (1) the need of money saving and (2)
concerns on the food qualtiy

A small number of people who enjoy the lives as before

Covid-19 to go out for restaurants frequency
Eat out Refrain from eating out for saving money and their
ongoing concerns over Covid-19. Even they go out they
tend to avoid pricy restaurant and choose the ones with
good hygiene quality

Majority still prefers to eat at home due to their concerns

Eat at home and as the method of saving money. Some likes to cook at
home as the new habit during Covid-19

Q. What is applicable to you now compared with before Covid-19? (N=282)

Likeness of “stay home” and “remote work”
They like the freedom and flexibility, although mom does not like their husband to stay at
home
Singles enjoy more freedom Mom busier as husband always at home
Putting financial things aside, youth generally On the other hand, mom feels they became
like the flexibility and freedom of remote work busier as she has to take care of husband and
instead of going to company (for short time their children who are at home all the times.
period)
They had more house works and some felt
They like the flexibility and less regulation by more stress for the sudden unexpected busy life
not going home, although the work performance
is a big question mark
 Changes in entertainment (before / after Covid-19)

Cafe Fitness SPA / Beauty service

-25 pts -16 pts -12 pts

4% 67% 29% 7% 70% 23% 7% 74% 19%

Increase Same Decrease Increase Same Decrease Increase Same Decrease

Even after the lockdown, the usage of the entertainment facilities have not come
back fully.

Q. What is applicable to you now compared with before Covid-19? (N=282)

Activities that they spent on during Covid-19
They had more time to do what they like to do, finding good alternatives online while
increasing family commuications further

Internet / social media Cooking Movies / Games

Internet as the best way to kill Some challenged new recipe Video / games as popular
their spare time, by chatting and utilizing their time and need for entertainment during their stay.
surfing houseworks Video streaming demand up

Family time Knowledges Online shopping

Singles enjoy having more family Youth spend some spare time for Although financially concerned,
time with their parents. Video call learning or reading books their time to play with online
also popular for remote shopping app increased
communications
 Acceleration of non-cash
Due to their concerns over the hygiene and the
lack of going out opportunities, non-cash behaviors
have been accelerated

Popularity of credit card Usage of online banking

or mobile payment
Covid-19 influences to the shopping
 Changes in shopping locations (before / after Covid-19)

Supermarket CVS / mini super Local store Local market

-1 pts -3 pts -6 pts -13 pts

17% 65% 18% 15% 67% 18% 14% 66% 20% 10% 67% 23%

People tend to buy less in general. Supermarket or Mini supermarket is better choice due to
the better hygiene treatment and less traffic. Some hesitate to use local market after Covid-
19 due to the high traffic

Q. What is applicable to you now compared with before Covid-19? (N=282)

 Offline channel usage differences
• The usage of supermarket came back as before
• Popular outlet as people feel that they care and take actions for Covid-19 (temperature,
Supermarket wash hands etc.)
• Good as it also supports non-cash for less infection risks
• Also less trafffic than the local market and people feel more comfortable

• Usage slightly impacted due to the less opportunities to go out

• Popular pick due to the convenience locations for the urgent and quick buy
CVS / Mini super • Mini supermarket (e.g Bach Hoa Xanh) popular due to the good locations and fresh food
purchase

Local store • Same usage as before for the general goods purchase

• Less traffic than before, although it was the most common area for fresh foods, due to
Local market some restrictions and the concenrs on the high traffic and density
 Online dependency - What to buy during Covid-19
71%

46% 47%
45% 37% 42% 40%
38%
38% 30%
34% 28%
26% 21% 19%
21% 20% 13%
17% 17% 11%
12% 8%
9% 8% 7% 6% 4%

Purchase at online Increase during Covid-19

Food / Beverage, toiletries have highest increase ratio during Covid-19

Q. Please choose if there are anything that you increased the purchase during / after Covid-19 period / Please choose ALL the products that
you have bought online in the last 12 months (exclude food delivery service).
Online channel usage for foods / beverages
• Buying online becomes the new behavior for the moms who did not
use it before but made it as the new custom
New behavior
• Flash sales from the shopping apps attract them
among mom
“ I started to use online shopping for the first time during Covid-19. It was easier than I
expected and I felt the convenience of doing it. I still use it even after Covid-19”

• Covid-19 opened the door for food & beverage purchase online.
Food / beverage • Popular items are dried / cooked foods
order experience • Generallly good satisfaction which make it the food online shopping as
the new behavior

• Facebook is also the popular channels for the online food especially for
Facebook for the snacks or dried foods.
snack / dried foods • They spend more time in social media and have more opportunities to
see people selling home made things.
 Online dependency - Food products purchased online
during Covid-19

Dried foods Cooked meals Vegetables, fruits Milk, dairy products

52% 49% 41% 38%

Meat, fish, egg Frozen foods Soft drinks Alcohols

38% 35% 27% 15%

Q. What food have you bought online the first time during/ after COVID-19? (N=85)
 Online dependency - Food that are purchased online more
than before after Covid-19

Cooked meals Milk, dairy products Dried foods Frozen foods

57% 56% 54% 43%

Meat, fish, egg Vegetables, fruits Soft drinks Alcohols

38% 37% 33% 17%

Q. What food have you bought online more often during/ after COVID-19? (N=126)
 Online shopping
- Less frequent users
Although Covid-19 has given more opportunities for online
shopping, there are less “frequent shoppers” probably due
to their tight budget controls

Online shopping frequency before / after lockdown

14% 15%

37%
43%

28%
32%

21%
11%
Before After
More often Weekly Monthly Rarely
Spending intentions and budget control
 Financial impact
If facing financial impact during Covid-19 How financially impacted

Income reduction due to less

working hours
43%
I am not
sure, 5% My income has been reduced
due to the cut
37%
No, 18%

I have more spending during

Covid-19
32%

I did not have the salary increase

which I originally expected
21%

Yes, 78% My investment value has been

reduced
16%

My job has been lost 5%

Nearly 80% is impacted on finance by COVID-19 due to income reducing

Q. Has COVID-19 given you any financial impact? (N=282) / (If yes) What has given you the financial impact? (N=219)
 Vietnam economy situation
Vietnam economy recovery Economical situation concern

11% 12% 4%2%

17%

20%

29% 42%

35%

28%

1-3 months 4-6 months 7-12 months Highly concerned Relatively concerned
A little concerned Not concerned
More than 1 year I am not sure Not concerned at all

Nearly 70% think that Vietnam economy will be recovered within next 1 year
and over 90% concern about their economical situation
Q. How long do you think it will take for Vietnam economy to recover fully? / How much are you concerned about your economical situation now? (N=282)
 Intention to save money
93% considers to save spending for next few months

2% 5%

93%

Yes No Not sure

Q. Will you save your spending for next few month?

Items to save spending

Dine out Fashion Travel

61% 60% 8%

Entertainment Beauty IT
54% 43% 34%
 How to save money
Do the same but less
Do the same activities
as before but with less
cost
“ I still go to cafe for chatting
everyday but now use there
3 times / week”
“Even if I go travelling, I
would consider the shorter
trip of 1-2 days for the better
money managemet”
Avoid big spending
Control of the big
spendings and spend it
more for the necessities
“I use my budget of
travelling for the tuition cost
of my children”
“My budget has to go to
something that are
necessary. I have no room
to spend for the others”
Attention on Sales
More attention to the
pricing for the shopping
“I pay more attention to the
sales of online shopping.
Now I see many for the
discount”
“I have to choose the one
with cheaper price as my
salary still are cut”
Protection for future
Be cautious for the
uncertain future
“I am not sure when the
economy will recover, so I
plan my life based on the
worst case scenario.”
“I consider to save more
than half of my salary in the
bank, as I am concerned
that the economy will not
come back”
Key take away
 New Norm among Vietnamese

• Still cautious on the health and hygiene

but the level of cautiousness went down

• Online usage during Covid-19 has

opened the door for some to get familiar
with new online behaviors

• After the lockdown, people behavior came

back to normal gradually but they are
more cautious on the spending for the
income decrease and the concerns on the
economical recoveries
 Behaviors as new norm
Still cautious but the level of
hygiene behavior loosened
Compared with Covid-19 times,
the levels of cautiousness for the
hygiene and infections get less.
Still the basic activities of
wearing masks or hand wash
stays, but less for the additional
actions
Eat at home for cost saving
The demand of online food
delivery goes back to normal but
the demand of eat out did not
recover. People eat more at
home as the cost saving
solutions.
Online dependency as
alternative
They utilize online as the
alternative of external
entertainment such as cinema or
fitness. The demand of YouTube
learning or online video
streaming went up
 Behaviors as new norm
Online shopping for food /
toiletries
Food / beverages, toiletries are
purchased more during Covid-
19, and online purchase for
these items became the new
custom for some
Financial impact and
negative economical outlook
Nearly 80% are financially
impacted due to less work
volume etc. They are also
negative as to the economical
recovery in the next few month
and became more protective
financially.
Less spending, avoid big
purchase
They make effort of saving
money by avoiding the big
purchase. Also they use tactics
to eat out less or focus on
necessities to avoid
overspending during bad
economy.
Respondent’s profile
Quantitative survey (N=282)
Gender Age

Male, 41% 20-29, 45%

Female, 59% Obove 30,
55%

City Marital status

Hanoi, 29% Single, 40%

Married with
HCM, 45%
kids, 60%
 Focus group interview
Single group Moms group
No. Name Gender Age Class Occupation No. Name Gender Age Class Occupation

1 Khanh Female 27 B Sale staff 1 Giang Female 33 B Office staff

2 Thach Male 26 C Store staff 2 Nhu Female 37 A Office staff

3 Phung Female 24 B Office staff 3 Tuyet Female 39 B Office staff

4 Tuan Male 29 A HR staff 4 Thao Female 34 A Office staff

5 Toan Male 27 A Sale staff 5 Nguyet Female 31 B Customer

service
6 Linh Female 25 A Sale staff 6 Ngoc Female 36 A Office staff

*Household income
A: > 20M VND
B: 13.5M – 20M VND
C: 7.5M – 13.6M VND
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