Americans support small businesses during coronavirus with online classes, takeout
Once businesses reopen, 75% of Americans plan to support local merchants ‘as much as possible’
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Americans are looking forward to supporting local businesses as they reopen and coronavirus restrictions ease up, according to a new survey.
On Tuesday, Groupon released the results of a survey conducted by OnePoll.
Of the 2,000 people surveyed, 75 percent of respondents said they “plan to support local merchants as much as possible once restrictions on non-essential businesses are lifted in their communities,” a press release about the survey said.
In fact, about 86 percent said they supported a local business during quarantine, the survey found.
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About 77 percent of respondents said they took an online class or joined a virtual experience by a local business, 65 percent said they booked summer activities that are close to home to keep their children entertained and 60 percent said they ordered more takeout and delivery from local restaurants.
Overall, the survey found that 57 percent of respondents know of at least one business affected by coronavirus regulations.
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“This crisis has disproportionately affected small businesses and our hearts go out to local merchants, who have often poured their life savings into their businesses,” Simon Goodall, Groupon’s chief commercial officer. said in a statement. “As some businesses begin to slowly and responsibly open back up, it’s encouraging to see that many Americans plan to continue to help their communities recover by supporting small, local businesses.”
“Even if you live in an area that hasn’t relaxed restrictions or you don’t feel that it’s safe to support them in person just yet, there are still a number of meaningful ways that you can make a huge difference right now such as taking an online class, ordering takeout or delivery and booking future plans,” Goodall added.
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Despite the difficulties small businesses have experienced, the Groupon survey also found that 67 percent of respondents are more hopeful now than they were when the pandemic started.
Once it’s safe, Americans are expected to start spending their money first at restaurants, retailers, clothing stores, salons, spas and bars, according to the survey.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRPN | GROUPON INC. | 9.32 | +0.12 | +1.30% |
In fact, the average American plans to spend about $100 a week on local businesses after coronavirus restrictions are lifted in order to help the economy, the survey found. That’s up 16 percent from before the pandemic, according to Groupon.
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