Online impulse buys have helped some cope with pandemic disruptions

During lockdowns, access to luxury services was severely limited. Fine dining establishments were reduced to haute cuisine in take-out containers, and spas forced to close altogether. But some shoppers have tried to fill that void with consumer goods. Everyone’s life was disrupted, but those who kept their jobs had some extra money in their pocket, and many of them spent it, says Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. A new sofa or home renovation was never going to make the disruption go away, but for some, online shopping became an outlet for the anger and frustration they were feeling.