Consumption practices during the COVID‐19 crisis

Abstract

This research draws on protection motivation theory, temporal construal theory, and self‐determination theory to understand consumption practices during a pandemic crisis by looking at the narratives of British consumers during the COVID‐19 crisis. A two‐stage design is adopted: the first stage adopts an exploratory strategy to identify consumption‐related themes using netnography, while the second stage explores these themes further to gain a deeper insight through 13 semi‐structured interviews. Three themes emerge relating to different aspects of consumption practices. These themes are found to link to the self‐control research area and include consumers' self‐control changing their shopping behaviour, having less self‐control over unhealthy snack consumption and having less self‐control concerning alcohol. These lead to changes in other consumption practices, including store format and type of shopping. Different initiatives are discussed to help retailers retain their new lockdown customers to help manufacturers provide healthier options and to help weight management businesses and the National Health Service reduce unhealthy consumption habits.

Understanding consumer’ switching intention toward traceable agricultural products: Push‐pull‐mooring perspective

“…To cope with risk perceptions to foodborne illnesses, consumers today by and large more demand locally harvested food, organic food, sustainable agricultural products (Birch et al., 2018; Shahabi Ahangarkolaee & Gorton, 2021; Yoo et al., 2015); however, all of these product claims are only evidenced to consumers by traceability tools. In particular, the effects of the Covid‐19 pandemic have visibly altered the food habits of the people on the earth (Gordon‐Wilson, 2021; Lacombe et al., 2021), thus, not only healthy eating but food safety are also much higher centered than ever for the sake of health protection. Inevitably, food purchasers will become informed and conscious consumers in the coming years.…”

“…Scholars can carry out some systematic—approached studies to determine factors impacting consumer switching decisions for food‐safety choices by incorporating other theoretical research frameworks such as the Antecedents—Decision—Outcome (ADO) model (Paul & Benito, 2018) or the Motivation—Opportunity—Ability (MOA) model (Maclnnis et al., 1991). In the current time, several studies posit that consumer's behavior will be changed dramatically due to profound influences of the COVID‐19 pandemic (Eger et al., 2021; Gordon‐Wilson, 2021; Lacombe et al., 2021; Prentice et al., 2020); hence, studies on food consumption in the post‐pandemic stage should be timely elaborated to triviliate a better understanding of consumer switching decisions. In the same vein, future studies drawing on the PPM perspectives can invigorate the predictive power of this theoretical model by explicitly investigating effects of social factors (i.e., social influences, social presence…), environmental factors (i.e., food security, ethical consumption, sustainability incentives…) rather than solely personal factors on consumer's switching decision.…”

“…For food safety practices, consumers are seeking credible sources of food along the entire supply chain (Ergönül, 2013; Van Rijswijk & Frewer, 2012). Furthermore, the current COVID‐19 pandemic has dramatically graven unprecedented challenges to the global food chain system, in which threats to food safety and security are most highlighted (Gordon‐Wilson, 2021; Lacombe et al., 2021). To date, though there is no rational evidence to implicate a linkage of the COVID‐19 transmissions with food processing or food packing, it is undeniable that consumers are still confronted with subjective influences (Kitz et al., 2021).…”

Acculturative stress and consumption‐based coping strategies among first‐generation Asian‐Indian immigrants in the United States

“…Future studies are needed to explore the change in perceived xenophobia and resultant acculturative stress before and after the pandemic. Studies have also shown an increase in panic buying (i.e., buying in excess in the fear of going out of stock; Prentice et al., 2020) and indulgent buying behavior (e.g., consumption of alcohol, unhealthy snack; Gordon‐Wilson, 2021a, 2021b) amid the pandemic. These studies imply that there is a correlation between stress and panic or indulgent buying.…”

Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review of the Early Research on the COVID-19 Outbreak

“…(Baran, 2021;Campbell, Inman, Kirmani, & Price, 2020;Finsterwalder, Kabadayi, Fisk, & Boenigk, 2021;Giroux et al, 2021;Gordon-Wilson, 2021;Itani & Hollebeek, 2021;Kim, Yang, Min, & White, 2021;Kirk & Rifkin, 2020;Lim, 2021;Milakovic, 2021;Nayal, Pandey, & Paul, 2021;Nofiani, Indarti, Lukito- Budi, & Manik, 2021;Racat, Capelli, & Lichy, 2021;Toubes, Araujo Vila, & Fraiz Brea, 2021;Zwanka & Buff, 2021). (Ardanza-Ruiz & Lavin, 2021; Baarsma & Groenewegen, 2021; Cox et al, 2020; do Amaral Moretti, da Silva Gabriel, do Prado, & Alcantara Fagundes, 2021; Ellison, McFadden, Rickard, & Wilson, 2021; Goolsbee & Syverson, 2021; Gupta, Simon, & Wing, 2020; Im, Kim, & Choeh, 2021; Pantano et al, 2020; Pantano, Priporas, Devereux, & Pizzi, 2021; Paul, Menzies, Zutshi, & Cai, 2020; Rejeb,Rejeb, & Keogh, 2020;Safara, 2021;Veselovska, Zavadsky, & Bartkova, 2021;Zhang, Liu, & Yao, 2021) (Barnes, Diaz, & Arnaboldi, 2021;Billore & Anisimova, 2021;Garner, Safir, & Schild, 2020;Hall, Fieger, Prayag, & Dyason, 2021;Kaur & Malik, 2021;Kazancoglu & Demir, 2021;Loxton et al, 2020;Musyaffi, Sari, & Respati, 2021;Oana, 2020;Pham et al, 2020;Prentice, Chen, & Stantic, 2020;Prentice, Nguyen, et al, 2021;Prentice, Quach, & Thaichon, 2021;Tan, Sia, & Tang, 2021)…”