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Long-term changes in consumers’
shopping behavior post-pandemic:
an exploratory study
Astha Sanjeev Gupta and Jaydeep Mukherjee
Marketing Area, Management Development Institute, Gurugram, India
Abstract
Purpose –Short-term changes in consumers’shopping behaviour due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been
studied, but not the long-term effects. This study fills this gap by exploring the long-term changes in
consumers’retail shopping behaviour, due to their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach –Qualitative data were collected from one hundred fifty-nine respondents,
and grounded theory approach was applied for interpretation. Gioia thematic analysis method, open coding,
and axial coding were used for analysis.
Findings –Individuals who positively approached their experiences during the Covid-19 demonstrated
increased pro-sustainable and pro-environmental self-identity, resulting in sustainable consumption and a shift
to online shopping. Individuals having overpowering negative experiences demonstrated heightened fear of
missing out (FOMO), loss aversion, and rumination. While shopping, they demonstrated herd behaviour and
shifted to online shopping.
Research limitations/implications –This study highlights emotional and psychological mechanisms
influencing long-term changes in consumer shopping preferences post Covid-19 pandemic. The
generalizability of the findings is limited due to the study’s exploratory nature and the sample size.
Originality/value –This study contributes to shopping behaviour literature by uncovering novel constructs
of self-identity, loss aversion, FOMO, and rumination as antecedents to long-term shopping behaviour changes
post-Covid-19. It provides a new conceptual model of consumers’shopping behaviour, which may be
empirically validated.
Keywords Shopping behavior, Emotional and psychological experiences, Fear of missing out, Rumination,
Self-identity, Loss aversion
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
The experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic significantly altered people’s lives and changed
the retail business worldwide. The immediate effects on retail business were evident;
however, long-term effects are yet to be determined (Roggeveen and Sethuraman, 2020).
Retailers adopted immediate measures to survive the pandemic’s turbulent and ever-
changing market conditions. Several research articles emphasized that these new strategies
adopted by retailers during Covid-19 were likely to become the new normal post-pandemic.
For example, online grocery shopping and home delivery services became prevalent and
grew significantly. Thus, for long-term growth, retailers must understand the changes in
consumer attitude towards online and offline retail stores long after the threat of the
pandemic had abated. It is crucial to discover the underlying psychological drivers of retail
consumption changes to decipher the pandemic’s prolonged and more permanent effects on
consumer preferences in shopping behaviour.
Extant research has recognized Covid-19 as an unprecedented event and studied various
emerging consumption patterns. Two buying behaviours were identified globally and
studied in detail; panic buying and revenge buying. At the beginning of the pandemic,
consumers resorted to panic buying and stockpiling to overcome their fear of finding empty
shelves due to a shortage of stocks. In-between the repeated waves of the pandemic, many
consumers resorted to revenge buying activities like conspicuous shopping in malls,
increased travel and tourism and purchasing hedonic and luxury products to alleviate
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0959-0552.htm
Received 1 April 2022
Revised 24 April 2022
19 June 2022
2 July 2022
Accepted 3 July 2022
International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0959-0552
DOI 10.1108/IJRDM-04-2022-0111
negative emotions generated during Covid-19. These buying behaviours were sporadic but
significantly changed consumer expectations and shopping preferences. Till the substantial
threat of the recurrence of the pandemic had abated, the more permanent and prolonged effect
of the pandemic on the consumer’s shopping behaviours, could not have been fully addressed,
which is reflected in the extant literature.
Now that the pandemic threat has subsided, the government restrictions are completely
lifted, and it is possible to study the long-term effects. This research aims to fill this gap by
conducting an exploratory qualitative study to uncover the deeper psychological and
emotional factors that may have a lasting impact on consumers’shopping behaviour post-
Covid-19. It would help retailers recalibrate their marketing initiatives to grow their business
post-Covid-19 and optimize their marketing budget.
2. Conceptualizing the post-pandemic consumption patterns
Covid-19 pandemic has impacted businesses and economic activities and altered some
buying behaviours, manifested in the post-pandemic period. Businesses need to learn to make
their infrastructure, systems, and processes more resilient to manage the future,
accommodating the prolonged and long-term changes in consumption post-Covid-19
(Sheth, 2020). Based on the existing literature, we identified three broad areas in which
significant changes in consumer behaviour were reported. See Table 1, which summarizes
these changes from the literature.
2.1 Embracing contactless/ safe/ digital channel
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, consumers had a steady and marked shift to the online
environment due to new applications of digital technologies and increased choices available.
This trend was accelerated by restrictions on physical interactions imposed by the
government to contain the pandemic (Beckers et al., 2021). This shift is expected to alter some
consumer behaviour irreversibly. Existing research in the retail context has studied several
antecedents and consequences of this shift to online buying behaviour during and post-
Covid-19. For instance, Erjavec and Manfreda (2022) studied factors responsible for adopting
online shopping by older adults. They examined the interplay of three factors, Covid-19 fear,
herd behaviour, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT).
Performance expectancy, facilitating conditions from UTAUT, and herd behaviour were
significant factors in adopting online shopping. Another qualitative study found Covid-19 to
significantly impact consumers’online food shopping behaviour (Fuentes et al., 2022). This
study advocated that online grocery shopping helped consumers cope practically and
emotionally with the challenges brought on by the restrictions.
Eger et al. (2021) studied the role of fear for the health and economic well-being as an
antecedent to switching to online shopping behaviour, moderated by generational cohorts.
They found that individuals of all ages restricted their purchases to necessity, and fear for
health was significantly related to change in shopping habits during the pandemic.
Additionally, Beckers et al. (2021) studied seven categories of explanatory variables to
understand the evolution of online shopping in Belgium. The categories included socio-
demographic factors such as age, gender, education, household composition, change in income
during Covid, build environment, modal choice, and prudence. Overall, the extant research has
found a significant increase in online purchases by young, better-educated urban households
with children. These were the main drivers of the increased demand for online retail.
2.2 Postponement of demand/turning frugal
The second change in the post-Covid-19 consumption pattern observed and highlighted in the
recent literature is a shift towards more environmentally sustainable consumption.
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Consumers became more conscious of human vulnerabilities and concerned about pollution
and climate changes that adversely affected human health and the environment. A study by
Peluso et al. (2021) supported these results that demonstrated an increase in consumer
spending on pro-environmental and sustainable products by 10% during the pandemic. They
also found that consumers at older ages experienced a lower level of negative affect during
the rise of Covid-19 than other age clusters. Due to this difference in reaction, these consumers
developed a more optimistic view of the future, impacting their sustainable attitudes and
consumption.
Retail behaviour
change drivers Manifest behaviours
Nature
of
change Factors studied References of articles
Contactless/safe/
digital channel
(1) Omnichannel/e-
commerce
(2) New
technology-
based
consumption
(3) Safety measures
while buying
Long-
term
perceived risk; perceived
threat of COVID-19
place attachment;
shopping environment;
WOM; fear appeals
change in needs;
performance expectancy;
effort expectancy; herd
behaviour
channel attributes;
channel satisfaction; flow
experience; consumer
resilience; information
overload; safety
concerns; attitude
towards protective
measures
Beckers et al. (2021),
Hor
akov
aet al. (2022),
Eger et al. (2021),
Erjavec and
Manfreda (2022),
Bermes (2021),
Untaru and Han
(2021),Zulauf et al.
(2021)
Postponement of
demand/turning
frugal
(1) Sustainable
consumption
(2) Anti-
consumption
Not
known
pro-environmental
attitude; negative affect;
age
Peluso et al. (2021)
Coping with
Physical and
Psychological
stress/anxiety/fear
(1) Panic Buying
(2) Revenge buying
(3) Obsessive
compulsive
buying
Short-
term
fear appeals; perceived
scarcity; anticipated
regret; social norms
exposure to information;
cyberchondria; perceived
severity; isolation self-
efficacy
perceived arousal;
environmental stimuli
fear/anxiety; emotional
self-regulation; trust
mood alleviation;
shopping enjoyment;
socialization seeking;
self-control seeking;
psychological reactance;
need frustration;
perceived stress;
government measures,
social media, peer
influence, and the fear of
missing out (FOMO)
Naeem (2021),Omar
et al. (2022),Yuen
et al. (2022),Laato
et al. (2020),Islam
et al. (2021),Kemp
et al. (2021),Park et al.
(2022),Agag et al.
(2022),Prentice et al.
(2022),Gupta and
Mukherjee (2022)
Table 1.
Existing research on
consumption patterns
observed during and
Post COVID-19
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
Less attention has been paid to the post-Covid-19 trends towards anti-consumption
and curtailed or reduced consumption. It is currently difficult to say whether these
consumption patterns will result in long-term or short-term changes in consumer behaviour.
Anti-consumption means a voluntary reduction in consumption, green activism,
pro-environmental consumption, and avoidance (Cohen, 2020). Cambefort (2020) suggested
three ways in which pandemic challenged consumption. Social distancing and lockdowns led
to a natural decrease in consumption, increased anti-globalization, and preference for local
supplies. Also, misconduct by brands and companies in immoral behaviour during the
pandemic caused anti-consumption.
2.3 Coping with physical and psychological stress/ anxiety/ fear
A sudden surge in Covid-19 resulted in abrupt Government lockdowns in many parts of the
world, restricting free trade. Consumers reacted to this sudden loss of freedom of movement
by adopting irrational buying behaviours. One typical behaviour observed during the
pandemic was panic buying (Gauri et al., 2021;Naeem, 2020). Another was revenge buying,
observed after the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions (Park et al., 2022).
Several researchers in the retail context have studied the psychological causes of panic
buying. Omar et al. (2022) investigated the impact of uncertainty, perceived severity,
perceived scarcity, and anxiety on panic buying behaviour after the outbreak of the Covid-19
pandemic; and concluded that anxiety mediated the relationship between uncertainty and
scarcity and perceived severity. Therefore, it can be concluded that uncertainty caused due to
Covid, perceptions of the severity of disease, and perceptions of a scarcity of supplies caused
feelings of anxiety and reactance in consumers, which subsequently caused panic buying. In
another study, along with perceived scarcity, anticipated regret was also a significant
predictor. People regret minimizing alternatives like online food shopping and panic buying
in the face of the pandemic (Fuentes et al., 2022).
A few research studies found fear appeals, anxiety, and distress caused due to social
media information sharing, an essential cause of panic buying (Naeem, 2020,2021;Kemp
et al., 2021). Critical reflection on media reports about hoarding and self-observed situations
significantly impacted consumer shopping behaviour during Covid-19 (Zulauf et al., 2021).
Drawing on the resource scarcity, contagion theory, and cloud psychology, Prentice et al.
(2022) examined how government measures, social media, peer influence, and the fear of
missing out (FOMO) are associated with panic buying. The results showed that all variables
other than FOMO were significant antecedents to panic buying. In another multi-country
study, Islam et al. (2021) investigated the impact of external stimuli of a temporary shortage of
supplies during lockdowns on the emotional arousal among people that subsequently led to
impulsive and obsessive-compulsive buying during the pandemic. Thus, panic, impulse, or
obsessive-compulsive buying could be a short-term phenomenon. Revenge buying was a
buying behaviour first observed in China in the third quarter of 2020 when the government
restrictions were eased.
While panic buying is a well-researched phenomenon, limited research has attempted to
uncover consumers’psychological and emotional drivers that caused revenge consumption.
In their recent study, Park et al. (2022) emphasized the role of shopping in alleviating negative
emotions caused due to the pandemic. The study classified consumer groups based on their
perceived negative emotions (i.e., anxiety, fear, depression, anger, and boredom) and mapped
them with their shopping motivation and behaviour. Gupta and Mukherjee (2022)
investigated how autonomy need frustration caused by government restrictions led to
psychological reactance among consumers, which accelerated the revenge buying behavior.
Additionally, the study indicated that in some cases, need frustration led to increased
perceived stress in individuals, and such individuals went into a state of inertia, which
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subsequently negatively impacted revenge buying behavior. Though significant, panic and
revenge buying behaviours were observed in the short-run but were not regular consumption
patterns. The behaviour theories that explain the causes of these short-term changes may not
be adequate in explaining the more permanent changes caused by Covid-19 on consumers’
shopping behaviour.
2.4 Conclusions from extant literature
The exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic have led consumers to question
their buying decisions. The above literature review indicated three crucial changes in
consumption. First, a marked shift in channel preference from offline to online. Though some
attempts have been made to find this change’s psychological, emotional, and
socio-demographic indicators, conclusive inferences cannot be drawn due to limited
empirical research. Additionally, research in this area of inquiry is either descriptive or
based on the quantitative methodology that employs a deductive approach and uses
consumer behaviour theories to explain the phenomenon (Becker et al., 2021).
The second theme comprised consumers’voluntary reduction in their overall expenses.
Some resorted to buying locally instead of expensive global brands. Market activists
scrutinized companies and brands before buying to boycott any brand they perceived as
indulging in social misconduct during vulnerable times of Covid-19. None of the studies tried
to uncover or delve deeper into the psychological causes behind a shift towards sustainable
consumption or anti-consumption.
Changing consumer behaviour in the hardest-hit sectors such as tourism and retail has
been studied. However, understanding whether or how the pandemic had permanently
changed shopping behaviours, and the associated psychological and emotional drivers of
such changes are unknown. This understanding could help retailers chart out more robust
recovery and growth strategies. Since Covid-19 was an unprecedented event, the authors
advocate that existing theories may not adequately explain the causes of change in consumer
behaviour in the retail context. A qualitative inquiry using methodologies such as inductive
approach using interpretive paradigm or grounded-theory approach could provide a deeper
understanding of the psychological and emotional factors driving the change in consumer
shopping behaviour, post-Covid-19.
2.5 Research questions
The above literature review indicates that the research on long-term changes observed in
consumers’shopping behavior in the post-pandemic period is nascent, with limited studies
investigating its psychological and emotional causes. This area of inquiry is vital to academic
research and practices in the retail sector, where significant changes have been observed in
consumption patterns.
The pandemic was declared endemic in the United Kingdom and California in early 2022.
A similar situation is emerging in many parts of the world, and it is hoped that life will return
to where it was before Covid-19. However, some changes in consumption habits due to the
psychological and emotional changes experienced by consumers during the lockdowns
would sustain. There could be a permanent change in certain shopping behaviours, such as
moving to an online channel, using alternative payment and banking services online,
refraining from going to movie theatres, and adopting streaming services like Netflix
and Disney. It is essential to understand the drivers of people’s consumption habits
post-Covid-19. The above discussion leads to the research questions:
RQ1. How the consumer’s experience of sustained Covid-19 pandemic has impacted their
shopping behaviour in the long term?
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
RO1. To explore the long-term changes in consumers’shopping behaviour in the post-
Covid-19 period caused due to their experiences during the pandemic’s prolonged,
uncertain, and fearful circumstances.
RQ2. What psychological and emotional factors are responsible for the expected long-
term changes in consumers’shopping behaviour post-Covid-19 condition.
RO2. To explore psychological and emotional factors responsible for long-term changes
in consumers’shopping behaviour after the pandemic.
3. Methodology
This study employed a grounded theory approach and the interpretivist paradigm as
research philosophy. The ontological underpinning of interpretivism is relativism (Scotland,
2012). Relativist ontology highlights that people have different experiences of the same event;
these experiences can impact their decisions and routine life. Every individual has a
subjective reality, mediated by their sense-making of any object, situation, or event. The
interpretivist approach is directed toward understanding a phenomenon from an individual
perspective (Creswell, 2009).
People had varied experiences and emotions during the Covid-19 and attached different
meanings and levels of importance to this social phenomenon (Naeem, 2020). The researchers
collected qualitative data about individuals’experiences during Covid-19, using open-ended
questionnaires to uncover insights and understand how it impacted their shopping attitudes
and behaviour.
3.1 Sampling and data collection
The Snowball sampling technique was used to collect data using google forms, sent to
respondents through e-mails and WhatsApp. Online data collection helped collect data from
respondents in different geographical locations in India, making the sample more
representative of the population. The written response of the respondents was captured in
their language, which ensured that no information was lost or misinterpreted due to the
researcher’s bias. The data collected was very authentic and unbiased. The snowball
sampling process was initiated with 20 leads; each was approached personally by the
researchers to fill in the form. They were then asked to send the survey link to ten friends and
acquaintances, with a request to fill the online questionnaire. Out of the 220 potential
respondents, a total of 159 participants completed the survey in the stipulated time of one
week during the last week of March 2022. Sample characteristics are presented in Table 2.
The open-ended questionnaire used for this research comprised five questions and
demographic information. The questions such as “How were your personal/individual
experiences of Covid-19”,“How were your work experiences during Covid-19”,and“How
were your shopping experiences during Covid-19”to capture the emotional and
psychological states of individuals during Covid-19 were included. The question “What
were your learnings as a Shopper from Covid-19”and “How Covid-19 experiences you
have stated above has impacted your post-Covid-19 shopping behaviour”was asked to
capture the consumer response to Covid-19 experiences in terms of shopping behaviour
and attitude.
3.2 Data analysis
Thematic analysis is a practical methodology for identifying and reporting qualitative
inquiry themes (Clarke and Braun, 2006). Six steps framework of Clarke and Braun (2006)
was employed to analyse and report the findings. The steps followed were (1) reading the
IJRDM
transcripts, both during the fieldwork and after its completion; (2) summarizing and
composing themes. Based on Gioia et al. (2013) framework, three-step axial coding was
conducted. Three coding levels were used to arrive at the manifest and latent themes from the
data. For latent themes, descriptive coding was done wherein a single letter code was
extracted from a paragraph (Saldana and Omasta, 2016). Such coding helped researchers
divide the individual’s experiences during Covid-19 into positive and negative categories.
(3) First-order codes with thematic similarity were grouped for the second level of the holistic
coding approach. While coding first-order themes into second-order themes, the researchers
ensured that codes matched the themes. (4) After the holistic coding, second-order themes
were identified, which helped researchers identify basic themes within the data and prepare a
thematic map to understand the data (5) Labelling the final themes was done by assigning
names to each theme. (6) The final analysis was based on the thematic map, aligning with the
research questions. The whole process involved a detailed discussion between researchers,
and all the steps were followed to ensure the desired accuracy and rigor.
4. Findings and analysis
This section presents the themes extracted from the data. Covid-19 was viewed as an external
stimulus. The S-O-R framework (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974) was adopted for analysis as it
precisely captured the research context. Most marketing literature that studied consumer
response had acknowledged the role of a trigger or a stimulus factor (Amarnath and Jaidev,
2021). The studies in retail and consumer behavior where the S-O-R framework was used
include exposure to marketing activities, unsolicited emails, loyalty programs, and
promotional favours; that were found to act as stimuli triggering consumer response
(Wendlandt and Schrader, 2007). The research studying the phenomenon of panic buying
during the pandemic also found SOR framework helpful in explaining the positive and
Frequency (n) %
Age (in years)
Less than 20 12 7.55
20–40 119 74.84
40–60 20 12.58
60 and above 8 5.03
Gender
Male 95 59.75
Female 64 40.25
Family income
Less than 1.2 million Rs. / Annum 51 30.07
1.2- 2.4 million Rs. / Annum 65 40.88
2.4- 3.6 million Rs. / Annum 26 16.35
More than 3.6 million Rs. / Annum 17 10.69
Marital status
Unmarried 59 37.11
Married 100 62.89
Education
Under graduate 21 13.21
Graduate 35 22.01
Post graduate & above 103 64.78
Table 2.
Sample demographic
characteristics
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
negative shopper behaviour (Islam et al., 2021). Covid-19 experiences of the consumer were
the stimulus. The stimulus was from the environment, including media, social circles, and
other experiences of lockdowns, disease, and economic fallout. However, each individual
processed their stimulus differently, reflecting the organism element of the S-O-R framework.
Based on the data, we divided the organism into two categories of consumer processing-
positive and negative. This organism element led to a change in shopping attitude and
behaviour post-Covid-19, manifested as the response. In this research, we explored the
expected long-term response in the form of retail shopping behavior. See Table 3 below for
thematic mapping.
4.1 Psychological and emotional experiences of consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic
4.1.1 Main theme 1: positive experiences. Covid-19 was a prolonged event where every
individual would have experienced several emotions and cognitive changes, some of which
had the potential to permanently alter a consumer’s shopping decision-making
considerations, processes, and outcomes. Positive experiences in Covid-19 mean
individuals responded to the pandemic with positive emotions and cognitions such as
compassion, relaxation, satisfaction, etc. These individuals realised the significance of the
environment and the vulnerability of human life due to environmental exploitation; they
understood that one needs less to survive. Hence, they expressed high intentions to spend on
environmentally sustainable products. These findings align with the prior research that
Covid-19 has amplified the sensitivity of consumers toward more sustainable and
environmentally friendly purchasing/shopping (Godefroit-Winkel et al., 2021). De Canio
et al. (2021) also emphasized that this environmental and sustainable consumption trend was
a permanent change owing to increased environmental concern.
4.1.1.1 Subthemes: satisfaction; mindfulness; self-reliance. Many respondents reported
that their Covid-19 experience was satisfying because they got ample time to spend with their
family members, which they were previously unable to spend due to work engagements.
Such respondents indicated Covid-19 as a positive event that helped the earth revive by
reducing air pollution. For example, a participant wrote, “It was a great and satisfying
experience to spend time with family. There was no traffic, a decline in environmental pollution,
Positive
experiences
Compassion
Awareness/informative
Mindful
Satisfied
Resilience
Self-reliance
Mental and Physical
well-being
Negative
Experiences
Fear
Uncertainty
Loneliness
Anxiety and distress
Need-Frustration
Risk Perceptions
Mundane & boredom
Helplessness
Impatience
Second Order Coding
Organism
D
A
T
A
Fear
uncertainty
Sasfacon
Anxiety
Mindfulness
Loneliness
Ruminaon
FOMO
Sustainable
consumpon
behaviour
Herd
Behaviour
Self-identy
Movement
towards
e-commerce
First Order Coding
Smulus
Aggregate Dimensions
Response
Self-reliance
Third Order Coding
Loss Aversion
Table 3.
Thematic analysis to
develop the
conceptual model
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the earth was getting revived”. Several participants shared that during Covid-19, they could
spare time for themselves, which helped improve their work productivity. For example,
“Covid-19 gave me time for self, knowing family members better, safety, relaxation from the
fast life, and clean environment. This improved my work performance; I was able to deliver.
Working from the comfort of the house was less depressing”. For many, Working From Home
(WFH) was a comfortable and relaxing experience; they could operate from their home
comfort and did not need to travel for hours in heavy traffic to reach the office. These changes
also increased their life satisfaction and improved their mental well-being.
Several individuals reported that they felt peaceful and mindful because environmental
conditions like air quality, cleanliness etc., were improving due to Covid-19 lockdowns and
restrictions. This experience made them realize that it is time the human race starts thinking
about the environment and takes necessary actions at a collective and individual level.
A participant expressed, “Covid-19 made us realise that environment is very important for
human survival. So, save environment and consume mindfully”. Another participant shared
that “It was the most peaceful phase for me as a shopper. Only things I shopped for were
necessity items”.Also, shopping through e-commerce websites helped them stay safe at home.
The above could be linked to the state of being “mindful”. Literature has described
mindfulness as a focus of attention on the present moment, comprising the adoption of an
orientation characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance (Pereira and Coelho, 2019).
Mindfulness provided peace of mind to individuals and helped them concentrate on the
present rather than being anxious about the future.
Participants reported that they perceived lockdown as a necessary step taken by the
government. They have to help the country and the citizens fight against Covid-19. For
example, one participant indicated, “Precautions and prevention against covid-19 and its
variants are important. I have shopped and will shop only after following proper guidelines as
instructed by the government.”Another respondent stated, “I have learned many things, that
one should always keep themselves hygienic and always wash hands for self and others safety
while shopping.”They felt that they were doing national duty by following the government
guidelines. This notion is linked to the psychology of self-reliance, which has been described
as a mindset where individuals feel responsible for their actions and capable of managing
themselves well, even in adverse conditions. Self-reliance brought a positive change in
consumers’self-identity. These respondents emphasized a need to resort to e-commerce for
shopping and limiting purchases to necessary items to help the government better manage
the pandemic.
4.1.2 Main theme 2- Negative Experience. Covid-19 was perceived and experienced as a
negative event by most individuals owing to their adverse personal and professional
experiences. The uncertainty, loss of loved ones, financial and job loss, loneliness, etc., created
a tense and fearful situation for many individuals. This finding was supported by many other
studies, reporting anxiety and depression as adverse outcomes of Covid-19 in the population
even after the brunt of the pandemic was over.
4.1.2.1 Subthemes- Fear, anxiety and distress, loneliness, uncertainty. Participants
reported that they were constantly afraid due to several reasons during the Covid-19
pandemic. Individuals who went through career turbulence due to job loss or salary cuts
reported constant fear of financial insecurity. A participant stated, “There was a fear factor
and no job security—constant salary deduction for many months. Fixed expenses like house
rent & EMI remained the same. Reduced business opportunities.”Another participant
reported that the general information about the increasing Covid-19 infections made them
constantly fear acquiring the disease. As a result, they resorted to e-commerce for their
shopping needs. “I felt helpless and fearful when I needed something and could not go out
because of Covid-19 scenarios. We all resorted to online shopping”. Individuals were fearful
about the availability of resources such as supplies and necessary items due to reports of
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
inventory shortages. For example, a participant indicated, “There was a sudden paucity of
consumer goods, transportation got disturbed. I was fearful that supplies might stop so resorted
to hoarding.”Many individuals still feel fearful and refrain from going out to shopping malls.
Covid-19 made them realize the advantages of e-commerce; they intend to continue shopping
online. Fear is a negative emotion that can cause changes in consumer behaviour
(Naeem, 2020).
Fear was faced by individuals when the Covid-19 pandemic was ongoing. However, post
the pandemic, fear was replaced by anxiety and distress. A participant reported, “It was a very
difficult time; loneliness and lack of socialization made me feel anxious and depressed from time
to time. Sometimes I also felt like the end of this world.”A lack of socialization with family and
friends made people anxious. Another participant stated, “I feel socially distanced from friends
and family, mentally depressed. It impacted my confidence to travel due to fear of contracting
coronavirus.”Even after Covid-19 had subsided, people lacked the confidence to move out for
shopping and travel. Moreover, they are now habituated to online shopping and intend to
stick to it in the future.
Loneliness was already a pervasive problem even before the pandemic. Covid-19 has
exacerbated loneliness to greater prominence and concern (Wang et al., 2021). Participants
indicated that the lack of socialization and feeling of loneliness during the pandemic owing to
extended government lockdowns was one of the negative emotional states they experienced.
A participant wrote, “I would like to travel, dine out, socialize with long-lost friends and even
distinct family members, and engage in fun activities I missed desperately during lockdowns.”
People felt an instant urge to move out and travel, shop or catch up with old friends and
relatives post-Covid-19 times.
Uncertainty relating to the disease and government regulations is a well-established
outcome of Covid-19 in extant literature (
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u and YumurtacıH€
useyino
glu, 2021;Schrage
et al., 2022). For example, a participant indicated, “Covid-19 is not over. I still place restrictions
on myself and my family and resort to online shopping.”Thus, this state of uncertainty is likely
to be prolonged, as the constant speculation of additional Covid-19 waves in the future has
made individuals believe that even though the lockdowns and social movements are eased,
the pandemic is still not over and will never be, as it is here to stay. A participant shared her
experience, “Due to uncertainty, my brother and I stocked the goods as there was no idea what
tomorrow brings.”This constant uncertainty about the disease has led individuals to panic
buying and revenge consumption.
4.2 Overall findings
The findings indicate that people had positive and negative perceptions about the
experiences during Covid-19, which impacted their psychology and led to behaviours of panic
and revenge buying, discussed in the existing retail literature. Additionally, individuals
indicated that life will no longer be the same as it was pre-pandemic, and their experiences
with Covid-19 will have a long-term impact on their lifestyle, consumption patterns, and retail
channel preferences. The research findings can be explained using the S-O-R framework as
the individual experiences of Covid-19 were a common stimulus for all individuals. However,
the organism element that is the processing of experiences is different for different people.
Hence, it is not the stimulus alone that impacted consumer response directly; it is mediated by
individual psychological processing of experiences based on their approach towards life that
impacted their individual responses.
5. Discussion and theoretical contributions
Several research articles in the highly referred retailing journals have pointed out that the
Covid-19 pandemic presented an opportunity, though forced, for retailers to develop new
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business models by integrating or abandoning best practices in the shopping context
(Roggeveen and Sethuraman, 2020;Salvietti et al., 2022). There has been a constant call for
research on changes in consumer shopping behaviour post-Covid-19 (Sheth, 2020). This
qualitative inquiry contributes to the extant literature by exploring the potential long-term
changes in shopping behaviour and uncovering the psychological and emotional factors that
could shape such changes post-Covid-19.
The study found that the prolonged pandemic subjected consumers to intense emotional
and psychological experiences, potentially altering individuals’worldviews, including
shopping attitude and behaviour. Four overarching themes were identified as potential
antecedents which could explain the long-term changes in shopping behaviours. This section
discusses the novel concepts identified in this qualitative inquiry and maps them with
existing literature to propose a comprehensive conceptual model, as shown in Figure 1.
5.1 Focus on positive emotional and psychological experiences led to a change in self-identity
A consumer’s self-identity is how he/she views himself or herself. This view of self is
malleable and varies with the situation. It is conceptualized as self-directed symbolism, where
consumers use their possessions to extend, expand and strengthen their sense of self
(De Klerk et al., 2019). It is sometimes also viewed as self-concept based on how consumers
view their identity (Roggeveen et al., 2021). This study revealed that consumers who focused
on positive experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic realized the significance of
sustainability and pro-environmental behaviours. They also realized the futility of
excessive consumption and binge shopping. Several participants in this study indicated
that shopping online reduced unnecessary traffic on roads and was beneficial from an
environmental point of view. Thus, this study found that the Covid-19 experiences changed
consumers’self-identity as a psychological antecedent to a permanent change in consumers’
shopping behaviour towards sustainable consumption and a positive movement towards
e-commerce. Thus, self-identity increased consumers’preference for sustainable shopping
and movement towards e-commerce.
This conceptualization supports prior research, which found that extended lockdowns
and government restrictions aided shopping for necessities, and a preference for low contact
online channels. Increased attention to sustainable shopping and preference for green
products was also observed (De Canio et al., 2021).
5.2 Focus on negative emotional and psychological experiences led to fear of missing
out (FOMO)
FOMO is an increasingly evolving concept in consumer behaviour, mainly in social media
marketing (Zhang et al., 2020). FOMO explains the anxiety social media users feel when they
perceive their peers are doing, experiencing, or possessing something rewarding while they
EmoƟonal and
Psychological
Experiences During
COVID-19
FOMO
Change in Self-
idenƟty
RuminaƟon
Loss Aversion
Sustainable
behaviour
Herd Behaviour
Movement
towards
e-commerce
Figure 1.
Conceptual model of
permanent change in
shopping behaviour
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
are not (Hodkinson, 2019). Consumers experience FOMO when they perceive that missing an
experience poses a psychological threat. Existing research on FOMO indicates that it
involves unmet social needs and is conceptualized to result from anxiety and depression
(Dempsey et al., 2019).
Individuals who perceived Covid-19 experiences negatively reported anxiety, depression,
and loneliness due to extended lockdowns and a decline in socialization. This anxiety led to
FOMO, which has also been found to play a role in problematic internet usage (Dempsey et al.,
2019). This research finds permanent shopping behaviour changes due to FOMO in
consumers, like increased use of e-commerce and engaging in herd behaviour.
Preference for e-commerce was growing in pre-Covid-19 times also, which is likely to
increase post-Covid-19 due to increased internet usage and online supply of almost all the
products and services. Thus, individuals with dominant FOMO feel they will miss out on
something important if they fail to follow the trend. Similarly, literature reported a tendency
of consumers to engage in herd behaviour, evident during revenge consumption. Revenge
consumption was attributed to a lack of socialization due to Covid-19 restrictions
(Naeem, 2020).
Herd behaviour refers to the phenomenon where people follow the crowd by choosing to
overlook their private information and knowledge and imitate the actions of others.
Sociologists applied herd behaviour to study sudden shifts in consumer behaviour, such as
fashion and fads (Rook, 2006). Recently, this concept has gained attention in behavioural
finance literature, where it is studied to investigate the sudden rise in preference for popular
securities in the market. In behavioural finance context, it is defined as a decision-making
approach characterized by imitating others’actions or a situation where people start to
imitate others’judgments while making decisions (Hotar, 2020). In other words, it is defined
as any behaviour similarity/difference transmitted by the interaction of individuals.
In marketing literature, “herd behaviour”is an under-researched construct; it has been
studied to examine the social media behaviour of university students in gen Y (Bevan-Dye,
2020). Existing research highlights the attitudinal causes of herd behaviour as hasty decision-
making and mood (Shusha and Touny, 2016). In the Covid-19 context, few people rushed to
shopping malls and travel destinations with a vengeance immediately after the restrictions
were lifted. This rush indicates the existence of herd behaviour. Our research also supports
the contention that individuals’tendency to engage in herd behaviour will continue to rise
post-Covid-19, as they will continue to follow increased shopping and travel trends.
5.3 Focus on negative emotional and psychological experiences led to rumination
Our research found that the negative affective state and anxiety experienced by several
individuals during the stressful Covid-19 pandemic intensified feelings of psychological loss
and rumination. Rumination involves a repetitive focus on one’s negative thoughts,
meanings, and consequences and responds to negative affect and stressful life events
(Saintives and Lunardo, 2016). Rumination represents the cognitive aspect of anxiety and is a
relatively new construct in retailing literature. It has been found to mediate the relationship
between anxiety and depression and problematic smartphone usage (Dempsey et al., 2019).
There is some support for this construct in retailing literature. A study on the impact of
brand anxiety and hatred on obsessive-compulsive behaviour in the retail context found
rumination to cause brand betrayal (Dempsey et al., 2019). However, this study is the first to
highlight the significance of rumination as an antecedent to an irreversible change in
consumer shopping behaviour, post-Covid-19.
5.4 Focus on negative emotional and psychological experiences led to a state of loss-aversion
A concept introduced by prospect theory, loss aversion, suggests that gains and losses are
defined as a reference point (Tversky and Kahneman, 1991). Losses are perceived to be larger
IJRDM
than gains against any particular reference point. Individuals who focused on negative
experiences of Covid-19 and the government restrictions were found to experience loss
aversion. Even after the improvement of the pandemic situation and the easing of lockdowns,
such people experienced difficulty returning to retail outlets for shopping due to the fear of
acquiring the disease. The perception of losses and the magnitude of loss aversion led
individuals to entirely shift to e-commerce as a safe option helping them avoid any chance of
infection. This study proposes that such individuals will follow the herd behaviour of
following the safety protocols and prefer shopping in stores with uncrowded formats, even
after the pandemic.
6. Implications
6.1 For retailers
Salvietti et al. (2022), in their article on omnichannel retailing and post-pandemic recovery,
clearly laid down five promising future research areas in the post-Covid-19 period. One such
topic was understanding the evolving customer journey in retail shopping; how the pandemic
has altered this journey by preventing customers from accessing specific touchpoints and
channels, forcing them to adopt new channels and behaviours. This research emphasized the
role of psychological and emotional experiences during Covid-19 and its long-term impact on
consumer shopping behaviour. This study corroborates the existing trend toward online
shopping, finding that, irrespective of individuals’positive or negative experiences of
Covid-19, they are likely to prefer online shopping. Thus, retailers operating in the offline-
only model need to devise strategies to switch to omnichannel retail, which no longer remains
just a differentiating factor from competitors; but has become a necessity (H€
anninen et al.,
2021). Pandemic has increased the importance and potentiality of online retail manifolds.
Post-Covid-19 shopping behaviour changes will revamp the retail landscape. This study
emphasized leveraging consumers’self-identity towards sustainable consumption, fear of
missing out (FOMO), rumination, and loss aversion perceptions as drivers of retail sales in
various retail formats, channels, and categories.
FOMO has been used in travel promotions, stimulating demand for beer, boutique
clothing, feminine hygiene products, and real estate for young first-time home buyers
(Hodkinson, 2019). However, there is limited research on how to leverage FOMO effectively
and in what circumstances will it positively affect consumer purchase intentions. This study
indicates that under conditions of hindered socialization and freedom of movement, FOMO
was a widely experienced emotion. Thus, we suggest that FOMO appeals may be used by
marketers of experience-based goods and services such as hedonic and luxury products to
drive sales. Such initiatives would help consumers recover from their negative state of mind
like rumination and improve well-being. Marketers can use FOMO appeals to generate
awareness about the importance of favourable and self-relevant experiences in rejuvenating
oneself from the uncertain and fearful phase of Covid-19. Experience-based retail products
and services such as cosmetics and self-care, restaurants, water and theme parks, gaming
zones, and bowling alleys can accelerate sales using FOMO appeals. Retail experience-based
formats such as malls and trade fairs will also benefit from using FOMO appeals in
communications.
Loss aversion advocates that the losses are weighted more heavily than the equivalent-
sized gains (Hardie et al., 1993). Many individuals viewed Covid-19 as an adverse event in
their lives and demonstrated an increased loss-aversion tendency. Consumers are expected to
evaluate products and services in the post-Covid-19 era with the pre-Covid-19 era as a
reference point. Thus, retailers’strategies of increasing prices or reducing the quality of
products or services immediately in the post-Covid-19 market scenario to recoup losses
suffered during the pandemic might prove detrimental to business. Loss-averse shoppers will
Consumers’
shopping
behavior
notice the change and might get over-cautious in purchasing decisions. Both online and
offline retailers must maintain consistency in their pre and post-Covid-19 pricing and quality
to reassure consumers that they will be served similarly. We expect this strategy will help in
building consumer trust. Retailers essentially need to ensure consumer satisfaction to drive
retail sales in the post-Covid-19 era.
6.2 For the government, policymakers, and society
Positive experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic increased consumer self-identity toward
sustainable consumption. Hence, retailers of sustainable products and services and
government can use interactive digital displays in the physical stores to trigger consumers
to think more about the environment and sustainability. Past research in retail has
emphasized the influential role digital displays play in accelerating the sale of
pro-environmental and sustainable products (van Giesen and Leenheer, 2019). We
recommend that retailers and government stores dealing in sustainable products and
services using digital display technology to encourage sales of such products in the
post-Covid-19 market scenario, taking advantage of the increasing consumer preference.
Government, social marketers, and policymakers can also encourage consumers to think
about the environment and resort to sustainable consumption by devising required
interventions using the Covid-19 experiences to trigger environmental awareness and
concern. Lastly, most extant research on change in consumption due to Covid-19 emphasizes
the negative experience of consumers. However, this research provides evidence that the
pandemic had a positive fallout regarding an increased preference for sustainable
consumption. Sustainability is the future of retail as it is imperative for human well-being.
7. Limitations and future research directions
The study has a few limitations. First,this study explored the psychological and emotional
factors responsible for long-lasting changes in consumers’shopping behaviour, due to
Covid-19 experiences. As a qualitative study, this research provided insights, and conclusive
inferences about the proposed relationships cannot be drawn. A quantitative study that
employs sophisticated statistical analysis such as structural equation modelling and
experimental analysis is required to validate the proposed conceptual model and establish
causal relationships.
Second, the study was limited to exploring the psychological and emotional experiences of
Covid-19 and its linkages with permanent changes in shopping behaviour in the
post-pandemic era. The study was conducted in India, with a limited sample size. Hence,
other factors like culture or social capital could also impact long-term changes in shopping
behaviour. A larger, multi-country sample would be required to explore additional social
factors that might impact the permanent change in shopping behaviours.
Third, the study scope is limited to individual consumer experiences of Covid-19. Along
with individual experiences, people stayed together as a family, where different age groups,
gender, and people in different life stages experienced turbulent Covid-19 times. Thus,
collective family decision-making also impacts shopping Behaviour and consumption. The
overall impact of a family’s shopping and consumption of products and services could be a
future research area beneficial for mall owners, owners of small independent retail stores, and
online retailers to understand consumers of post-Covid-19 times better.
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Corresponding author
Astha Sanjeev Gupta can be contacted at: jainastha1@gmail.com
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Consumers’
shopping
behavior
