A Snapshot in Time: Consumer Behavior at the Start of COVID-19

Abstract

During the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers faced challenges related to obtaining household items due to shortages and limitations in shopping. Researchers from the University of Tennessee conducted a national, web-based consumer survey of 300 consumers in late April 2020 to better understand consumer behavior, shopping patterns, and demand shifts for goods and services. Major findings demonstrate that consumers have increased shopping for essential products from brick-and-mortar national chains, avoided brick-and-mortar small businesses, and have chosen to shop more by themselves, often choosing to forgo spending from across all product categories, compared to prior to the pandemic. Additionally, results indicate that lower levels of positive emotions and active resilience are responsible for higher levels of shopping frequency. Additionally, lower levels of passive resilience and optimism are associated with increases in co-shopping behaviors. Findings from this study provide insight into the changes among consumers during trying times and the influence of consumers’ emotions and individual characteristics in helping to explain these changes in family resource management and mental health, as well as consumer resilience amidst changing macroeconomic conditions.