Philadelphia, PA - The reopening of restaurants and retail shopping in Philadelphia from the customer perspective was examined in a new CCD survey, reflecting the public’s views on when they will return to shopping, dining.
Center City Residents Surveyed on Dining and Retail
According to the findings, shopping and dining will be slow and gradual, dependent on how businesses address public concerns, as well as the City of Philadelphia’s flexibility, of expanded use of sidewalks and streets to accommodate seating and customer waiting for lines.
CCD emailed 17,000 residents who live between Girard Avenue and Tasker Street. The survey was completed by 1,910 respondents from June 8 to June 15, with responses equally distributed between residents of core Center City, and four sounding areas.
Philadelphia's Reliance on Neighborhood Restaurants
During the stay-at-home period, residents relied primarily on neighborhood restaurants with 76% walking to pick up their meals, while 29% relied on a car, taxi, or car-share, and 5% biked. For customers who had meals delivered, 86% reported delivery by car, 61% received delivery by bike, and 17% reported deliveries made on foot.
Restaurant Goers Plan a Gradual Comeback in Philly
The survey suggests that customers expect to come back to restaurants gradually: 20% indicated they would dine out immediately upon reopening with 20% returning within the first two weeks. Another 15% expect to dine out within the first three to four weeks, 24% after a month and 21% will wait at least two months. Those over 65 indicated they would return to restaurants more slowly than those in their 20s and 30s.
Philadelphian's Plan to Dine Out Less After COVID-19
More than six in 10 respondents expect to dine out less than they used to, and just 4% expect to dine out more than they did before the pandemic; only 34% expect to dine out as much as they used to before the pandemic. Take-out service will remain relevant: 68% expect that after restaurants reopen, they will continue to rely on take-out as much or even more than they did before the stay-at-home order took effect.
Philadelphia Stay-at-home Order Prompted More Online Shopping
The survey captures clearly how the stay-at-home order prompted more people to rely on online retail shopping: 83% reported purchasing items online for delivery; 32% made online purchases for curbside pickup. After stores reopen, 26% expect to make more online purchases than they did before the shutdown.
When to Expect Philadelphia Customers to Return to Normal
Similarly to the survey’s responses regarding restaurants, customers expect to come back slowly to in-store shopping: 20% expect to return to in-store shopping immediately after stores reopen; 23% expect to return within the first two weeks. Another 19% expect to return to shopping in the first three to four weeks after reopening; 21% expect to wait a month; 16% expect to wait at least two months. Older respondents expect a longer delay in their return to in-store shopping, with 42% of those aged 65 or older expecting to wait one month or more, compared to 35% of those under age 35.
