Abstract
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Korean government promoted strong social distancing policies and restricted the use of confined areas and spaces that are likely to cause widespread infection, including religious facilities. The policies affect the consumption behaviours of Korean citizens. The purpose of this study is to examine changes in the consumer behaviours of citizens following the outbreak of COVID-19 in South Korea. Using credit card data from January to June 2020 in Seoul, this study examines the changes in consumption by industry type. Consumption types were classified into education, wholesale and retail, online purchases, food service, leisure, and travel. The industry that was most affected was the travel industry, which did not recover following the decline in consumption due to COVID-19. To examine consumer changes in credit card transactions due to widespread infection, a correlation analysis was conducted between the amount of consumption according to credit card transaction data (card consumption) and the number of confirmed patients and policy implementation by step. For more detailed analyses, group infections in the Guro-gu and Yongsan-gu neighbourhoods were investigated. In Guro-gu, no significant results were found in the area experiencing massive group infection. In Yongsan-gu, a significant negative correlation in consumption and number of cases was found in Itaewon 1-dong, an area with mass infection, and a positive correlation was found in the surrounding areas. Nevertheless, no significant correlations between changes in consumer behaviours and effects of COVID-19 were found as a result of the analysis herein.
Highlights
The global outbreak of novel coronavirus COVID-19 has changed the daily lives of citizens internationally
Card transactions made from January to June 2020 in Seoul were investigated by industry type
The results presented in the previous sections suggest that consumer behaviour is affected by the total number of confirmed cases and policies such as social distancing rather than by incidents of mass infection
Summary
The global outbreak of novel coronavirus COVID-19 has changed the daily lives of citizens internationally. The anxiety level of the public has increased as COVID-19 turned out to be highly infectious, and many policies have been put into effect to control the spread of COVID-19 at international levels. Public health precautions include lockdowns, social distancing, and stay-at-home orders, all of which have been enforced at local, regional, and national levels. These policies have resulted in changes in daily routines of citizens all over the world, gradually changing robust socioeconomic models into noncontact societies. Many industry sectors have been highly impacted by such changes, especially trade and distribution of goods, education, and businesses. Online classes and video conferencing have emerged as preferable models to in-person meetings and classes, and the market for online shopping has expanded greatly
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