Is Covid‐19 changing sustainable consumer behavior? A survey of Italian consumers

Abstract

Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been hit by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus that causes Covid‐19. To hamper its spread, policymakers of many countries have put in place strong countermeasures, including lockdowns, that have led to significant changes in people's lifestyles and daily routines. This article aims at assessing the changes caused by Covid‐19 in sustainable consumer behavior under multiple perspectives, contributing to advance knowledge at the intersection between consumer dynamics and sustainable consumer behavior literature. A survey was conducted on 1.535 Italian consumers between December 2020 and February 2021. Respondents were asked to assess the extent to which their consumption behavior—purchase frequency, willingness to pay a premium price, sense of moral duty to purchase, social influence to purchase—related to several categories of sustainable products changed due to the pandemic, as well as the extent to which the pandemic impacted on many other aspects, including their environmental awareness, concern, and habits. Results show that Covid‐19 generated relevant changes. Consumers have increased their purchase frequency and willingness to pay for sustainable products, show growing attention to environmental issues, and behave more sustainably. Further, the extent of change is strongly affected by socio‐demographic variables, such as gender, age, income, and education. For instance, women reported a higher shift towards sustainable consumption and behavior than men. Understanding these changes is important to guide marketers and policymakers to respond promptly and effectively to them and to leverage on them to foster a transition towards a more sustainable society.

COVID-19 Effects on Environmentally Responsible Behavior: A Social Impact Perspective from Latin American Countries

“…With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies have explored its influence on consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior [ 3 , 18 , 25 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. For instance, Severo et al [ 4 ] found that the COVID-19 pandemic is essential in changing people’s behavior, affecting environmental sustainability and social responsibility.…”

“…This, in turn, demonstrates a positive behavioral change toward the environment. Another study by Dangelico et al [ 45 ] found that COVID-19 generated relevant changes in consumer behavior. Those who have increased their purchase frequency and willingness to pay for sustainable products show increasing attention to environmental issues and behave more sustainably.…”

Exploring the antecedents of sustainable consumers' purchase intentions: Evidence from emerging countries

“…Indian consumers are more conscious of sustainable goods and purchasing eco-friendly products (Business today.in, 2021) and similarly, Indonesian customers are willing to pay a premium for environmental-friendly products (Tempo.co, 2021). Thus, businesses would benefit from developing marketing plans for enhancing their competitive edge (Dangelico et al, 2022), measured primarily in terms of customer satisfaction (Kumar et al, 2017). Additionally, businesses in many countries have begun prioritizing marketing tactics for environmental-friendly products (Lavuri et al, 2022;Dangelico et al, 2022).…”

“…Thus, businesses would benefit from developing marketing plans for enhancing their competitive edge (Dangelico et al, 2022), measured primarily in terms of customer satisfaction (Kumar et al, 2017). Additionally, businesses in many countries have begun prioritizing marketing tactics for environmental-friendly products (Lavuri et al, 2022;Dangelico et al, 2022). There are numerous marketing techniques that an enterprise can enact regarding to eco-friendly products and buyer awareness, which helps increase consumer knowledge about the environment (Lavuri, 2021).…”

Investigating the antecedents of consumer behavioral intention for sustainable fashion products: Evidence from a large survey of Italian consumers

“…The growing interest of consumers in sustainability issues (Aschemann-Witzel and Stangherlin, 2021;Chen and Hung, 2016;Dangelico et al, 2022;Featherman et al, 2021;Y. Huang et al, 2021;Yan et al, 2019) is driving fashion houses and retailers to take action and has been providing ground for the emergence of a new consumer market for the so-called "sustainable fashion".…”