Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
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- Figure 1: COVID-19 employment situation, October 2020
- Figure 2: Future of work expectations, October 2020
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- Figure 3: Financial situation, by COVID-19 work situation, October 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on the modern workplace
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- Figure 4: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on the modern workplace, November 2020
- Challenges
- Remote work has redefined many Americans’ daily lifestyle
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- Figure 5: Work-from-home habits, October 2020
- Brands’ treatment of essential employees is top of mind for many Americans
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- Figure 6: Essential workers, by COVID-19 work situation, October 2020
- Opportunities
- Employer strategies must adapt to best support their employees
- Brand strategies must shift to meet consumers’ new work-from-home habits
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- Figure 7: Priority Pillars for the Mintel Trend Drivers Technology and Wellbeing, December 2020
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- COVID-19 has impacted Americans’ work-life in a range of ways
- Office workers will likely experience more long-term changes
- Brands need to pivot to address new work-from-home needs and routines
The Landscape of Work
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- Work during the COVID-19 pandemic
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- Figure 8: COVID-19 employment situation, October 2020
- Remote work is new for the majority of Americans but likely to continue for the time being
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- Figure 9: Remote status, October 2020
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- Figure 10: Future of work expectations, October 2020
- Remote workers skew male, urban-dwelling and affluent
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- Figure 11: COVID-19 remote workers, by select demographics, October 2020
- Defining essential workers
- Over a quarter of essential workers are in the healthcare industry
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- Figure 12: Essential workers’ industry, October 2020
- Essential workers skew rural, young or middle-aged and less affluent
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- Figure 13: COVID-19 essential workers, by select demographics, October 2020
- Remote workers feel more financially secure than essential workers
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- Figure 14: Financial situation, by COVID-19 work situation, October 2020
Market Factors
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- Impact of COVID-19 on the modern workplace
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- Figure 15: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on the workplace, October 2020
- Lockdown
- Reemergence
- Recovery
- Economic challenges
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 16: Personal Savings Rate, percentage, monthly, seasonally adjusted annual rate, Oct 2006-Oct 2020
- Employment rate
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- Figure 17: Unemployment, January 2007-October 2020
- Consumer confidence
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- Figure 18: Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007-October 2020
Market Opportunities
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- Provide home office equipment and setup
- Computer accessories and internet connectivity are a top draw
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- Figure 19: Verizon Business virtual meeting performance tips
- Create bundles and same-day distribution to simplify shopping experience
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- Figure 20: Desired company-provided items, by COVID work-from-home situation, October 2020
- Shift product offerings to meet new consumer habits
- Move away from formal
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- Figure 21: Express fall campaign: October 2019 vs October 2020
- Repositioning beauty as wellness
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- Figure 22: Maybelline’s Brave Together virtual meet-up
- Highlight escape and indulgence
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- Figure 23: Work-from-home habits, October 2020
Remote Work: In Their Own Words
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- Remote workers are grateful despite the extreme change
- Productivity has increased while working from home
- However, the lines between work and life have been significantly blurred
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Not all Americans feel their work defines who they are
- Americans expect a lot from their jobs
- The impact of remote work varies by gender and ethnicity
- Americans are mindful of brands’ DEI efforts and employee treatment
Work and Personal Identity
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- Americans take pride in their work, but it doesn’t necessarily define them
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- Figure 24: Pride in work, by COVID work situation, October 2020
- Remote workers are more likely to view work as an action, not a place
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- Figure 25: Work as a place, by COVID work situations, October 2020
- Pride and sense of self in work rises and falls with age
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- Figure 26: Pride in work, by age, October 2020
- Black Americans have less pride in and fulfillment from their work
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- Figure 27: Pride in work, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, October 2020
- A quarter of essential workers do not feel their work is respected
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- Figure 28: Respected by others, by select demographics, October 2020
- Nearly half of essential workers feel they are not properly compensated for their work
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- Figure 29: Work compensation, by select demographics, October 2020
- Yet, the majority of Americans feels their work enables them to have the lifestyle they want
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- Figure 30: Perception of work and lifestyle, October 2020
Work Priorities
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- Americans expect a lot from their ideal job
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- Figure 31: Ideal job qualities, October 2020
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- Figure 32: Ideal job qualities, count of priorities, October 2020
- Those who can afford it prioritize work-life balance over salary
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- Figure 33: Work-life balance, by COVID-19 work situation, by race and Hispanic origin, October 2020
- The importance of remote work depends on stage of life
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- Figure 34: Prioritizing remote work, by COVID work situation, by age, October 2020
- Remote workers may just want to stay home, not travel the world
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- Figure 35: Importance of remote work, by COVID work situation, by age, October 2020
Remote Work and Consumer Habits
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- Remote employees miss their co-workers, but not their commute
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- Figure 36: Work-from-home habits, October 2020
- Women’s consumer behavior is more impacted by remote work than men’s
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- Figure 37: Work-from-home habits, by gender, October 2020
- Brand spotlight: Gap Inc.
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- Figure 38: Remote workers turn to brands like Athleta for all-day comfort
- White Americans have changed their behaviors more than Black and Hispanic Americans
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- Figure 39: Work-from-home habits, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, October 2020
- Remote workers aged 25-34 years old feel they have too many virtual meetings and miss their commute
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- Figure 40: Work-from-home environment, by age, October 2020
Employee Treatment and Diversity
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- The treatment of essential workers is top of mind for consumers
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- Figure 41: Essential workers, by COVID work situation, October 2020
- More than half of Americans feel their employer promotes workplace diversity and inclusion, but there’s still room for improvements
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- Figure 42: Workplace diversity, by COVID work situation, October 2020
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- Figure 43: Workplace diversity, by ethnicity and Hispanic origin, October 2020
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Companies can provide employees with safety and support
- Brands can shift to better fit into the modern workplace
Mintel Trend Drivers
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- Wellbeing
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- Figure 44: Priority Pillars for Mintel’s Trend Driver Wellbeing
- Technology
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- Figure 45: Mintel’s Trend Driver Technology
Competitive Strategies
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- Employer strategies
- Companies lower overhead and meet employees’ preferences by going remote full-time
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- Figure 46: REI sells never-been-used Seattle headquarters
- Software solutions support virtual office culture
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- Figure 47: Donut launches WaterCooler
- Ride-sharing benefits and stipends may help alleviate commuting concerns
- Brand strategies
- Shift foodservice benefits to remote workers
- Offer a relaxed version of business casual
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- Figure 48: Everlane’s dream coat and pant
- Encourage business travel with safety information and updates
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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