Customers' social interactions and panic buying behavior: Insights from social media practices

Abstract

The Covid‐19 pandemic led to social distancing and lockdown practices, which increased social interactions and information exchange on social media for timely decision making. This study explores how social practices and social influence generated through social media created panic buying behavior among customers. A social constructionist epistemological position was taken in order to understand the social practice of information sharing and to ask why different meanings were ascribed to Covid‐19 pandemic. Qualitative data collection and analysis methods were used to understand these subjective realities. A total of 40 UK customers participated in semi‐structured interviews in which they were asked about their usage of social media during the pandemic. Results revealed that social media increased the sharing of viral video evidence, such as empty shelves and quarreling in grocery stores, which increased fear and uncertainty; as a result, people shared recommendations to stay at home and buy extra for survival. Analysis revealed that social media increased awareness of stock unavailability in other parts of world, such as the USA, China, and Germany; therefore, people took proactive actions, such as stockpiling or panic buying, to avoid risks and uncertainties. The major theoretical contribution of this study is that the researcher merged social practice theory and social influence theory, and constructed a research framework which provides understanding of the social factors generated through social media platforms that increased socially influenced panic buying practices among UK customers. This study suggests that there is a need to control socially shared information and panic buying behavior and how socially shared information can influence different people in different contexts.

Perceived Impact of Social Media on Panic Buying: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey in Iraqi Kurdistan

“…Hypothetically, it can increase fear by disseminating pictures of the empty shelves and rumors of a shortage of supply (4,10,11,15). Previous studies revealed that mass media and social media have a role in disseminating fear and rumors, which in turn increases erratic behavior like PB (10,12,18,19). Furthermore, it has been reported that fake news on social media demonstrated a strong positive impact on impulse buying (18)(19)(20).…”

“…Previous studies revealed that mass media and social media have a role in disseminating fear and rumors, which in turn increases erratic behavior like PB (10,12,18,19). Furthermore, it has been reported that fake news on social media demonstrated a strong positive impact on impulse buying (18)(19)(20). In contrast, mass media and social media can minimize PB by reducing public tension and threat and assuring the public that there is a sufficient supply of good.…”

“…It was revealed that social media can help promote social exchange, resulting in proactive activities in the form of consumer PB (14). Additionally, other studies reported that PB was more common among people who were more worried about the COVID-19 pandemic and that social media possibly played a role in disseminating the worry, fear, and anxiety by showing images of empty shelves, which in turn produced a sense of scarcity and short supply (19)(20)(21). Studies from different settings have also reported that rumors regarding the shortage of supplies increased PB (22)(23)(24).…”

“…Thirdly, as an emerging topic with fundamental challenges to study, there is an extreme dearth of empirical studies to ascertain such associations (25). Fortunately, newer studies are coming out even though further studies are warranted (14,15,19). Fourthly, there are numerous confounding variables such as socio-demography, economic construct, previous experience, and the public health crisis itself.…”

Protective Consumption Behavior Under Smog: Using a Data-driven Dynamic Bayesian Network

“…Such factors may exacerbate people's perceived threats through media communication (Naeem & Ozuem, 2021). The social ampli cation of risk discussed by Kasperson et al (1988) refers to the effects of the broader psychological, social, institutional, and cultural processes affecting people's perception and behavioral responses.…”