Very nearly half (49%) of workers in the UK have worked from home at some point since the first lockdown on 23rd March, says researcher GfK. This compares with 45% in France and 41% in Germany. However, in Britain, the home-working period has not tailed off as sharply as for French and German consumers – and this is driving an ongoing boost in purchases of equipment for the home office. Half of UK’s home-workers have already purchased home-office equipment, and 36% intend to buy in the future
For Britain, 58% of those who have worked from home at some point since COVID struck were doing so during September. This put the UK well ahead of France and Germany, where that figure had fallen off to 32% and 40% respectively.
Nathalie Bolle, GfK regional lead for consumer insights, comments, “This is good news for brands selling office equipment and IT in the UK. On top of the 53% of home-workers here who have already bought items to allow them to work remotely, another 36% say they plan to make purchases in the future. Office furniture is a particular focus for intended purchases, as people aim to be more comfortable as they work from home.”
The most popular items already bought by Britain’s home-workers were an office chair or desk, followed by a printer, headset or keyboard. Of those planning to buy in the future, an office chair is still the most popular item, followed by equal numbers wanting a computer, smartphone, desk, storage unit or ergonomic product.
