Seven in 10 Americans have experienced a wake-up call during the COVID-19 pandemic to shift their purchases away from bigger corporations and, instead, shop small, according to a new poll of US adults.

The survey asked 2,000 Americans about how they've responded to the novel coronavirus's impact on their local communities and whether they're supporting small businesses in this difficult time.

Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said they're now shifting their shopping habits to supporting local businesses rather than big corporations or chain stores.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Canva, the survey found that 79% of respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their perspective on just how important small businesses are to their communities.

During their months sheltering in place, respondents shared that they've supported an average of 10 small businesses.

Forty-three percent of respondents said the top method they've been supporting their local businesses is by ordering take-out or delivery. Over half of those surveyed also said they're tipping their delivery drivers more than they normally would—up to 28% of their bill, in fact.

Another four in 10 respondents said they've shown support by visiting their websites and ordering online, while another 38% say they have been donating money. Three in 10 are also writing online reviews and sharing their local businesses' social media posts to support them during this time.

Despite their individual support, 74% of those polled worried that their favorite local spot may not financially survive the pandemic—and perhaps because of this worry, 77% of respondents said they plan on supporting more local businesses once things return to normal after the coronavirus pandemic.

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said the top business they can't wait to visit again after the pandemic was their local coffee shop.

More than half just want to book a reservation at their favorite restaurant—and 31% can't wait to sit down and have a drink at their local bar.

Other top stops after COVID-19 included paying a visit to the hair salon, nail salon and local clothing store or boutique.

TOP WAYS TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES DURING COVID-19… 1. Ordering delivery/take-out – 43% 2. Shop online – 39% 3. Donating money – 38% 4. Buying gift cards – 34% 5. Writing reviews online – 31% 6. Sharing their social media posts – 30% 7. Posting about them on my social media – 26%

TOP BUSINESSES AMERICANS ARE MOST EXCITED TO VISIT AGAIN AFTER COVID-19 1. Coffee shop/cafe – 58% 2. Restaurant – 51% 3. Hair salon – 37% 4. Gym/fitness studio – 36% 5. Local clothing store/boutique – 33% 6. Bar – 31% 7. Nail salon – 23%

"Around the world, we're seeing millions of small businesses quickly adapt so they can continue operations," said Canva's Trends and Data Analytics Lead, Dr. Tim O'Keefe. "We've seen a surge in the use of Canva's free small business templates, with the creation of takeout menus growing by 66% as restaurants pivot to offering delivery-only, new marketing material to promote how distilleries are now producing hand sanitizer, and the adoption of personalized Zoom background designs for personal trainers running virtual classes."

"It's incredibly inspiring to see this positive trend towards innovation, determination and camaraderie across the globe."

(File photo by Brewbooks, CC license)

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