Food Purchasing Habits in Times of the Second Wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Keller, Veronika – Huszka, Péter

Keywords: grocery stores, coronavirus, online shopping, M31

The aim of this study is to explore the changing consumer and shopping behavior due to the pandemic situation relying on secondary and primary research.
In the literature review the authors summarize the virus and the pandemic situation and illustrate the effects with different statistical data, especially economic data and online shopping data. Relying on the secondary data it can be stated that the stay-at home movement due to the spread of the virus has changed food purchasing habits. All around the world people started to panic shop and there was a newfound interest in online food shopping.
In order to highlight the changes of purchasing behavior the authors conducted a quantitative study. An online survey in October 2020 was carried out to explore the basic changes in food purchasing behavior. In our quantitative study we supposed that there are two consumer groups, namely those who visit shop less often due to the pandemic i.e., they are afraid of the virus and those who have not changed their shopping habits that is they are not afraid of the pandemic.
The different types of grocery stores are visited at the same frequency among those who have not changed their purchasing behavior, and are visited with less frequency among those who have changed their purchasing behavior. The demand for nonperishable food has increased among Hungarian consumers. Those who are afraid of the virus and thus visit shops rarely are more prone to shop online shop. Relying on the results of our empirical research it can be stated that customers who have not changed their shopping habits are not really afraid of the virus and its effects. This empirical research is not a representative one, however, the results interpreted in the paper illustrate the changing food purchasing behavior due to current situation and circumstances both in Hungary and globally.
Our empirical study highlighted the social and economic effects of coronavirus, especially the changing food shopping habits. Beyond the popularity of online shopping customers have become more cautious and conscious. Online food shopping is a general global trend which has appeared in Hungary, too, and attributes are becoming more intense due to the pandemic. The authors think that online food shopping is not becoming the general food purchasing method among Hungarian customers since they persist to carry out traditional “physical” shopping. Due to the increase of customer consciousness retailers offer such digital solutions (development of applications, online shopping lists, web shops, etc.) that make this process more intense.

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