Pandemic’s Tech Demand ‘Surge' Threw Seasonality ‘Out the Window’: CTA VP

CTA surveys on COVID-19 consumer behavioral changes found 24% of U.S. homes added at least one paid streaming subscription service the past three months, Lesley Rohrbaugh, director-market research, told CTA’s virtual Technology and Standards Forum Monday. Two-thirds reported watching more content since the pandemic began, she said. Homes subscribing to paid video streaming services rose 19 points since 2018, while cable and satellite were down 15 points, she said. “One of the major areas of advanced consumer use is seen within the digital health space.” Use of telehealth services “has more than tripled” since the start of the pandemic, she said. “Looking to the future when the pandemic hopefully begins to subside,” nearly a quarter of U.S. homes canvassed “say they’ll continue using these services,” she said. The “surge in demand” for work-from-home and remote-learning connectivity products “completely disrupted seasonality,” said Steve Koenig, vice president-market research. “Seasonality is out the window,” he said. “Old habits” will join with “some new tricks” to shape tech post-pandemic, said Koenig. “Contactless payment systems” and delivery services at retail will be “very, very visible,” he said. “These are the new fixtures at retail, and retailers should be viewing these as long-term investments and strategies, not as short-term coping mechanisms. Consumers are going to demand these things.”