Content Guy's Note: It was just a few months ago that the esteemed data analytics and insights firm 84.51° issued a report entitled "Shaping a new normal: What brands need to know about the post-pandemic grocery shopper." But since that time, expectations about when me might reach the post-pandemic stage have been challenged by the surge in the Covid-19 Delta variant, as well as continued resistance to public health mitigation efforts from some quarters of the population.

And so, I reached out to Barbara Connors, VP of Commercial Insights at 84.51°, to talk about how the extended nature of the pandemic affected the acceleration of some retail trends … how consumers perceive retailers' varying efforts to deal with Covid-19 … the too-often equating of "price" and "value" in the shaping of retailers' images and consumers' perceptions … and the degree to which "healthier habits" will be sustained long-term. And, we also chatted about a more recent 84.51° report about expectations for the upcoming end-of-year holiday season.

Click here to read the full Morning News Beat article.