US Consumers’ Online Shopping Behaviors and Intentions During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kimberly L Jensen,Xuqi Chen,T Edward Yu,Jackie Yenerall

doi:10.1017/aae.2021.15

Kimberly L Jensen, Xuqi Chen + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/aae.2021.15

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Abstract

AbstractA study of 1,558 US households in June 2020 evaluated utilization of online grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, influences on utilization, and plans for future online grocery shopping. Nearly 55 percent of respondents shopped online in June 2020; 20 percent were first-timers. Cragg model estimates showed influences on online shopping likelihood and frequency included demographics, employment, and prior online shopping. Illness concerns increased likelihood, while food shortage concerns increased frequency of online shopping. A multinomial probit suggested 58 percent respondents planned to continue online grocery shopping regardless of pandemic conditions.

Highlights

IntroductionIn March 2020 as the virus started spreading widely in the United States (US), state and local governments began issuing orders to close restaurants to in-person dining to mitigate the spread of the virus
While online grocery shopping had been increasing in popularity prior to the start of the COVID19 pandemic in early 2020, the onset of the pandemic accelerated its adoption
With this rapid increase in use of online grocery shopping, developing a better understanding of drivers of its use is of interest to the grocery retailing industry and to policymakers

Summary

Introduction

In March 2020 as the virus started spreading widely in the United States (US), state and local governments began issuing orders to close restaurants to in-person dining to mitigate the spread of the virus In response to these conditions, many consumers responded by shifting their food expenditures away from food service (e.g. restaurants and eating establishments) to food retailers (Kowitt and Lambert, 2020). Consumers stockpiled groceries due to concerns about supply chain disruptions and shortages (Acosta, 2020) Part of this stockpiling may have been due to averting behaviors, as some consumers preferred to shop in-store less frequently, reducing the number of their potential exposures. Some of these increased food expenditures were conducted through online purchases, which showed a significant increase in utilization from the early months of the pandemic through the stage of the pandemic policy response in April when states started issuing stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders (Redman, 2020b)

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