Factors Affecting Consumer Behaviour during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Abstract

Consumer behavior has changed during the Covid-19 pandemic in all spheres of life. In Malaysia, there was a surge in e-commerce, a preference to buy essential goods from trusted brands while being cautious with spending. During the pandemic, Malaysian consumers have been more careful about spending their money and where they spend their money. Based on the review of past literature, the study's goal was to examine the relationships of variables such as perceived severity, cyberchondria, self-efficacy, and self-isolation on consumer behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia. The aim of the study was also to highlight the implications of the study that will be beneficial to the Malaysian government, the consumer association, and retailers. The quantitative research method was used to conduct this study via online questionnaires. The target respondents were consumers from Selangor between the ages of 20 to 60, mainly those with jobs and who earned a monthly income. A total of 196 respondents answered the questionnaire. The reliability, linearity, normality, correlation, and multiple regression tests were conducted using SPSS. The study results revealed that only perceived severity and self-isolation had significant relationships with consumer behavior. The scientific novelty of the study was that both cyberchondria and self-efficacy were insignificant. These findings imply that both cyberchondria and self-efficacy do not affect the consumer behaviour of Malaysian during the pandemic. The implications of the research findings were discussed.