• by Tanya Gazdik , April 21, 2020

More than half of consumers (69%) feel businesses and schools should stay closed for the next two months, up 3% from last week.

Amid recent protests to open businesses and schools back up, Engine Insights released its seventh survey to assess consumer attitudes and perceptions toward COVID-19.

Gen Z (64%) and millennials (52%) are more in favor of relaxing stay-at-home and social distancing requirements now, while Gen X (46%) and (39%) baby boomers are less in favor.  

“The business impact of COVID-19 has been seen across all industries,” says Don Simons, chief executive officer of Engine Insights, North America. “Now, more than ever, it is vital that businesses connect and understand their consumers -- what they are going through, what they need, and how they feel.”

This week’s results include data points surrounding social and personal anxiety as well as consumer concerns about finance. 

When asked “What is your level of anxiety concerning the COVID-19 pandemic?,” 15% expressed severe anxiety, while 17% have moderately severe anxiety, 27% have moderate anxiety and 40% have mild anxiety. 

As for personal finances, 71% say they are concerned, with 36% of those saying they are very concerned. The state of the U.S. economy has 92% concerned, of which 60% are very concerned.

What people miss most has stayed relatively the same, although going to restaurants and bars has declined to 82% this week, compared to 85% two weeks ago. Going to the gym has increased to 48% from last week’s 44%.

Previous online Caravan omnibus surveys were conducted March 13-15, March 20-22, March 27-29, April 3-5, April 10-12, and April 17-19, 2020. About 1,000 adults selected from opt-in panels were surveyed each time. The results are also weighted to U.S. Census data to be demographically representative.