COVID-19 spurred shoppers to switch retailers, brands

`Pandemic-fueled shortages, rising safety and financial worries, and evolving values have caused U.S. consumers to try other retailers and brands, and many of those shoppers intend to stick with their new choices, according to “Shoppers’ Response to COVID-19 and the Outlook for Change,” a recent report by Advantage Sales, a division of Irvine, California-based Advantage Solutions, a business solutions provider for manufacturers and retailers.