Junkee Reveals Weirdest Items Young Aussies Purchased In Isolation

Cat clothes, a Joe Exotic credit card skin and a make your own alpaca kit are just some of the obscure items that young Australians bought during Covid-19 isolation, according to research released today by Junkee Media.

The survey of more than 600 Millennials and Generation Z covered everything from the weirdest purchases while stuck at home and the first activity on their post-pandemic wish list to the unexpected perks and impacts of isolation, and what they expect from brands during this uncertain time.

According to the results, despite these frivolous purchases – which also included a Thor wig and mask, a cat bed for a non-cat owner, and a book on becoming a Wiccan – more than half (51 per cent ) said their overall spending had decreased.

When it came to the unexpected perks of Covid-19, saving money was the most common bonus mentioned (49 per cent ), followed by having more time to do things they enjoy (34 per cent ) and catching up on household and life admin (32 per cent ).

Almost a quarter of respondents (23 per cent ) said the biggest impact of Covid-19 was not being able to physically date, with the first items on their to-do list post-isolation being seeing their friends (46 per cent ), going to a restaurant (18 per cent ), getting a job (6 per cent ) and getting laid (5 per cent ).

The survey also found:

Young Australians are actively trying to rally behind businesses, with 60 per cent saying they are doing as much as they can to support them. An overwhelming 79 per cent are actively trying to support small businesses in particular.
71 per cent of respondents said they were OK with brands promoting products during Covid-19, but 38 per cent of these said it depended on the brand’s promotional message and 19 per cent said it depended on the brand altogether.
While 38 per cent said they expected Covid-19 to be over and life to return to normal within a year, almost a fifth (18 per cent ) said life would never be the same again.
Despite this demographic being highly vulnerable and their future at risk, they still remain optimistic, with just over a third (34 per cent ) saying they feel optimistic about their life right now and more than a quarter (28 per cent ) feeling optimistic about Australia. The same can’t be said for how they feel about the world, with just 5 per cent being optimistic.

oOh!media Chief Content Officer Neil Ackland said the research provides rare insights into the attitudes and behaviours of Australia’s younger generations towards this once-in-a-lifetime event.

“Now we’re looking at the tail end of isolation, we’ve been able to ask young Australians to reflect on what happened, how it felt and what a post Covid-19 world looks like to them,” he said.

“While the results have obviously highlighted some key concerns around mental health and finances, it’s also revealed some more light-hearted, quirky aspects of young Aussies in isolation.”

Ackland said the research provides invaluable insights for brands and marketers.

“This research is sharing the real thoughts and feelings of Australians’ reactions to brands in Covid-19, and the results overwhelmingly showed that they are extremely passionate about how they think brands should be talking and acting in crises like this,” he said.

“These insights will help brands shape their messaging now and into the future.”

Grab the full survey findings here.

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