Wednesday, August 19-25, 2020 - // no. 069
Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
www.theweeklyjournal.com
Ports Eyes Megayacht Economy P7 Triple-S Reports Q2 2020 Results P8 Importance of Federal Stimulus Funds for Local Businesses P9-10
Consumer Behavior in the Age of COVID-19
>Courtesy of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Clear winners as shoppers focus on technology, basic supplies, home improvement
R Rosario Fajardo
Learning the Joys of Bomba P15
rfajardo@wjournalpr.com
@RosarioWJournal
emember the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic when there was a run on toilet paper and hand sanitizers? That brief but spectacular consumer trend waned as many companies ramped up production of these essentials. With the COVID-19 crisis still upon us, consumer behavior has definitely changed and perhaps permanently. We have all seen the data on digital banking and e-commerce, which has soared worldwide.
Call it the impact of the new homebound economy. We are cooking more at home. We are buying more beer and wine from grocery stores as bars are closed. Many people are focusing on essentials, which also means that travel is down. “We are experiencing an atypical situation. All economic trends have been disrupted,” said Heriberto Martínez, president of the Economists Association of Puerto Rico. In an interview with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, he said that digital banking and online shopping are here to stay. “Everyone is going online, not just Amazon. SuperMax, Econo, GO TO PAGE 4