The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on consumer purchasing decisions

Abstract

Purpose: The main objective of the survey is to identify changes in consumer behavior and the determinants that influenced purchasing decisions during the Covid–19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: An interview questionnaire was used in the survey. The survey was conducted through a random selection of a sample. The electronic survey was conducted in April 2021. The questionnaire was completed by 220 people. The media were the tools to reach the respondents social networking and the survey itself was made available on the facebook.com portal, on thematic groups associating consumers of various products. The research was of a pilot nature. This limited the sample size and scope of the research. Findings: The analysis of the survey results shows that the COVID–19 pandemic affected the purchasing behavior of 76% of women and 62% of men. Surveys have shown how shopping habits have changed during the coronavirus pandemic. The respondents said they started purchasing more products online and that the frequency of shopping decreased, but they purchased more products at one go. The respondents bought only essential products and spent a larger portion of their money on protective measures than before. For 24% of women and 38% of men the pandemic had no impact on their consumer behavior. Originality/value: The analysis of the literature leads to the conclusion that there is not much research on consumer behavior during the COVID–19 pandemic. The paper is addressed to representatives of the scientific world dealing with the topic of consumer behavior and all those interested in this issue. Keywords: consumer, COVID–19 pandemic, purchasing decisions. Category of the paper: Research paper.