COVID-19 could potentially reshape people’s shopping habits based on the way that businesses respond to the crisis. Canvas8 spoke to semiotics expert Soma Ghosh to learn how brands are honing their communications to reassure and empower audiences – and win their loyalty in the process.

The spread of COVID-19 has seen people frantically stock their cupboards and freezers, with empty supermarket shelves a common sight worldwide. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Leonard Lee, a marketing professor at the National University of Singapore, to understand the human needs that fuel panic-buying.

In an effort to ease anxieties around food scarcity and grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, Heinz has launched a home delivery box filled with the brand’s staples. It’s hoping to offer comfort and convenience to families and key workers during a time of uncertainty.

In an always-on consumer culture, people are used to buying what they want whenever they want. But can possessions comfort and fulfill us during uncertain times? Canvas8 spoke to Bruce Hood, author of Possessed, to understand the psychology behind owning new things.