Survey Says … Consumer Confidence Survey Reveals Optimism for COVID-19 Recovery

It was the brainchild of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force. One of the Task Force’s first recommendations was to conduct a Consumer Confidence Survey, and the results are in. And more than 15,000 residents were willing and eager to share their opinions.

“We want to see how the consumer, the residents of this community, feels about reopening, in order to gauge the community’s thoughts about patronizing business,” said Jason Reynolds, AICP, Orange County Neighborhood Services Division.

Some of the key findings show that a whopping 69% of consumers are more comfortable patronizing businesses that take health and safety measures (e.g., temperature checks, face coverings, etc.). When it comes to economic outlook, obviously conditions have changed due to the pandemic, but optimism is still fairly high regarding a recovery.

The survey, which opened on May 13, 2020 and closed on May 22, 2020, was translated into Spanish and Haitian Creole to ensure it was as inclusive as possible. It garnered 15,317 responses related to business practices, economic outlook and consumer spending.

“We’re not oblivious to the fact that some people who took the survey have lost their jobs,” said Reynolds, “but there is a level of optimism. People are optimistic about our recovery and things changing positively in our community.”

Another key finding in the survey shows that consumer spending has gone up in the short-term, which could be attributed to people stocking up on groceries and other essential items.

The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force was established on April 17, 2020 by Mayor Jerry L. Demings to develop a phased approach to restarting the local economy from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Task Force’s goal is to develop an approach that balances the need to ensure the protection of employees and the public while also preserving the economic livelihood of our community.

To see the full results of the Orange County Consumer Confidence Survey, visit www.ocfl.net/EconomicRecovery. It includes all the survey answers and a detailed insight workbook breakdown that Orange County’s Geographic Information Systems put together.