Impact of the Pandemic on Wine Consumption and Winery Visitation Trends – Part 4

As with our last article, this installment describes data collected between 21 and 28 March 2022, funded by the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board (Project No. #239695), that segments participants into groups based on how "loyal" our survey participants were to drinking wine.  Another aspect of our research was to understand better whether the presence of COVID-19, even after vaccines and boosters were available, influenced wine consumers in their willingness to visit winery tasting rooms, what they would like winery tasting rooms to do to help them feel safe, and participants comfort level with visiting tasting rooms compared to other select small/medium-sized businesses. 

Level of perceived COVID-19 threat

Survey participants answered three questions (Table 1), provided by Conwy et al. (2020), with responses for each question ranging from 1=not true of me at all to 7=very true of me, resulting in a maximum of 21 points. 

 Table 1. Questions asked to determine participant level of perceived COVID-19 threat

• Thinking about the coronavirus (COVID-19) makes me feel threatened.
• I am afraid of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
• I am stressed around other people because I worry I'll catch the coronavirus (COVID-19)

Participants were then divided into quartiles (low, n= 263; medium, n=273; and high perceived COVID-19 threat, n=248) based on the total for their responses and used to compare groups.  Due to some survey participants not responding to all three questions, only 784 of our 805 participants were included in further analysis. 

Generation comparison

While there were no statistically significant differences among the three perceived COVID-19 threat levels for either the combined GenZ/Younger Millennial segment or the Gen X segment, there were significantly fewer Older Millennials (22%) with a "low" perceived COVID-19 threat level than the other two threat levels (Figure 1).  Fewer Baby Boomers responded that their perceived COVID-19 threat level was "high" compared to those with a "low" perceived threat level.

Figure 1. Percent of participants in each generation segmented by perceived COVID-19 threat level

Wine loyalty and perceived COVID-19 threat level

After dividing participants based on their level of loyalty to consuming wine into three groups (low, medium, and high), responses were further segmented based on the three perceived COVID-19 threat levels.  Figure 2 shows that there were significant differences, with a higher percentage of "low wine loyalty" participants having a "low" perceived COVID-19 threat level (42%) compared to both participants with a "medium" and "high" level of loyalty to wine (31.1% and 25.9%, respectively).   

The opposite was apparent when comparing level of wine loyalty based on perceived COVID-19 threat level.  In this instance, there were significantly more "high with loyalty" participants who responded that their perceived COVID-19 threat level was "high" (45.3%) compared to those who had a "low" perceived threat level (23.1%) and a "medium" level (30.4%).

Figure 2. Percentage of participants with a low, medium, and high perceived COVID-19 threat level segmented based on level of wine loyalty^x

^xPercentages within groups (e.g., Low COVID-19 concern) with different letters indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.05)

We also asked participants to indicate their level of concern (1=not at all concerned; 5-extremely concerned) about visiting venues during the COVID-19 pandemic.  When responses were segmented by level of wine loyalty, there were significant differences based on the type of establishment (Figure 3).  For all five venues presented, the means for those with a "high" level of wine loyalty were higher than those with a "low" level.  Means for those with a "high wine loyalty" were closer to a rating of a 3, "somewhat concerned," and those with a "low wine loyalty" were closer to a rating of a 2, "slightly concerned." 

Figure 3. Level of concern low, medium,  and high wine loyalty participants have related to visiting select venues^x

^xPercentages within venues (e.g., Tasting room) with different letters indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.05)

While a difference of approximately one point may not seem meaningful since there were differences between the two groups, exploring the factors that may describe why the mean for "high wine loyalty" participants is higher than that of the "low wine loyalty" participants, and the "medium wine participants" for three of the venues: tasting room, farm market/farmers’ market, and small non-food retailer, is warranted to encourage these consumers to visit tasting rooms.    

Mid-Atlantic winery visitation

There were no significant differences as to when participants last visited a Mid-Atlantic winery tasting room for any of the three periods (only before mid-March 2020, only after mid-March 2020, and both before and after mid-March 2020) when segmented by the three perceived COVID-19 threat levels (Table 2).

^xRows (e.g., Before and after mid-March 2020) with different letters indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.05)

Tasting room precautions

Recognizing that there are consumers in the U.S. who still follow COVID-19 safety protocols, such as masking, we were interested in learning how concerned our participants were regarding tasting room safety protocols.  Of the 784 participants who responded to the questions about the pandemic, 65.8% agreed to the statement, "Regardless of state/municipality mandates, I prefer to wear masks inside stores," and 83.5% agreed that "After visiting stores I immediately disinfect my hands or wash my hands."  While some time has passed since survey data were collected, there is a likelihood that some participants are still in the habit of implementing these safety precautions.

After the mid-March 2020 shelter-in-place order passed and tasting rooms were allowed to serve tasting room visitors again, emphasis was placed on altering interior tasting room spaces, expanding outdoor tasting areas, and enacting other steps to keep customers and staff safe. We asked participants to indicate how important (1=not important to 5=very important) nine different safety features to them when visiting a winery tasting room.  In all nine cases, the mean level of "importance" for those in the "low" perceived COVID-19 threat group was significantly lower than that of the "medium" and "high" perceived COVID-19 threat groups (Figures 4 and 5). 

Figure 4. How important are the following safety precautions for you when visiting a winery tasting room?^x

^xPercentages within safety precautions (e.g., Tasting room staff wear face masks) with different letters indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.05)

Figure 5. How important are the following safety precautions for you when visiting a winery tasting room?^x

^xPercentages within safety precautions (e.g., Outdoor seating areas) with different letters indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.05)

Again, while a difference of approximately one point or less may not seem meaningful, it is of value to consider what could likely appeal to tasting room visitors who view COVID-19 as a barrier to visiting a tasting room or feeling uncomfortable visiting. This might be especially true if other hospitality businesses that serve food and beverages implement the strategy. If it does not greatly impact resources and there are enough staff, having staff disinfect the seating area/table in front of customers could put some visitors at ease.  Others, such as installing an air filter, may require a greater investment, and reducing the number of tables in a tasting room can impact sales. 

Insights

The survey assessed participants' level of perceived COVID-19 threat through three questions. Participants were divided into quartiles based on their responses, resulting in low, medium, and high perceived threat groups.

Generation Comparison:
We found that Older Millennials had a significantly lower percentage of "low" perceived COVID-19 threat compared to other generations. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, had fewer participants with a "high" perceived threat level.

Wine Loyalty and Perceived COVID-19 Threat Level:
Participants were categorized into three groups based on their level of loyalty to consuming wine (low, medium, and high). The results showed that participants with "low wine loyalty" had a higher percentage of "low" perceived COVID-19 threat, while "high wine loyalty" participants had a higher percentage of "high" perceived threat.

Concerns about Visiting Venues:
Participants with a "high" level of wine loyalty expressed higher levels of concern about visiting various venues during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those with "low" wine loyalty.

Mid-Atlantic Winery Visitation:
The study did not find significant differences in winery visitation based on the perceived COVID-19 threat level.

Tasting Room Precautions:
Participants with a "low" perceived COVID-19 threat considered safety features in tasting rooms to be less important than those with "medium" or "high" perceived threat levels. These features included measures such as staff wearing face masks, outdoor seating areas, and other safety precautions.