Showing papers in "International Journal of Consumer Studies in 2021"
347 citations
288 citations
239 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors measured the distinctive characteristics of customers who did and did not order food through online food delivery services (OFDs) during the COVID-19 outbreak in India.
Abstract: This study aims to empirically measure the distinctive characteristics of customers who did and did not order food through Online Food Delivery services (OFDs) during the COVID-19 outbreak in India. Data are collected from 462 OFDs customers. Binary logistic regression is used to examine the respondents' characteristics, such as age, patronage frequency before the lockdown, affective and instrumental beliefs, product involvement and the perceived threat, to examine the significant differences between the two categories of OFDs customers. The binary logistic regression concludes that respondents exhibiting high-perceived threat, less product involvement, less perceived benefit on OFDs and less frequency of online food orders are less likely to order food through OFDs. This study provides specific guidelines to create crisis management strategies.
169 citations
151 citations
TL;DR: Using protection motivation theory (PMT), the authors investigated the influence of cognitive assessment and affective response on customers' behavioral intention amid COVID-19 in the context of restaurants.
Abstract: Using protection motivation theory (PMT), this study investigates the influence of cognitive assessment and affective response on customers' behavioral intention amid COVID-19 in the context of restaurants. More specifically, this research draws attention to (1) the influence of protection motivation (i.e., perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, maladaptive reward, response efficacy, self-efficacy, response cost) on hope and fear, (2) hope and fear as mediators between protection motivation and behavioral intention, and (3) diverse customer behavioral intentions that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., health-focused behavior, conscious consumption, and the supporting of local businesses and products). A total of 473 completed responses were obtained through an online survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The research model proposed in the study successfully explained the process in which individuals commit to hygienic behaviors, prioritize local restaurants, and engage in conscious consumption under the threat of COVID-19. The proposed model can be utilized in examining consumer behaviors in the hospitality industry, especially in the COVID-19 era.
115 citations
TL;DR: Panic buying emerged as a significant phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic as discussed by the authors, where government measures, media and peer influence had a significant influence on panic buyers' psychological outcomes.
Abstract: Panic buying emerged as a significant phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic This study draws on the scarcity principle, crowd psychology and contagion theory to investigate the antecedents and consequences of panic buying The antecedents included in this study are government measures, media and peer influence and the fear of missing out The consequences are founded on a sense of security and guilt Retailer intervention is included as a moderator to the proposed main effects Data were collected from 341 consumers who engaged in panic buying and were residents of the United States and Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic Structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed model The results show that the proposed antecedents (except fear of missing out) were significantly related to panic buying, which in turn had a significant influence on panic buyers' psychological outcomes The moderating effects of retailer intervention varied across different product categories Discussion and implications of these findings are provided for policy makers, customers and practitioners (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
112 citations
TL;DR: Panic buying has re-emerged as a new normal consumer behaviour and has become a coping mechanism for real and perceived dangers associated with COVID-19 Despite the need for a better understanding of the panic buying phenomenon, there has been a lack of scholarly research on this topic as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Panic buying has re-emerged as a ‘new’ normal consumer behaviour and has become a coping mechanism for real and perceived dangers associated with COVID-19 Despite the need for a better understanding of the panic buying phenomenon, there has been a lack of scholarly research on this topic This study seeks to fill this gap In this article, we systematically review extant studies in panic buying from the last two decades We analyse and categorize them according to Callahan's 4W (2014) review structure and Paul and Rosado-Serrano's (2019) TCCM framework We found that the existing publications in panic buying are fragmented across multiple disciplines Due to the nature of the panic-induced behaviour, most of them have been written as a reaction to the pandemic crisis We contribute to marketing research by providing theoretical, contextual and methodological insights into the field of panic buying Furthermore, we develop a research agenda related to retailer and consumer perspectives Additionally, we identify research issues related to policymaking and governance, as well as broader societal impacts that need to be addressed in the future © 2021 The Authors International Journal of Consumer Studies published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
103 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored consumer behavior during the pandemic through the lens of social cognitive theory (SCT) and found that consumers are self-efficacious to a degree when it comes to purchase decision making in the context of pandemics.
Abstract: This study explores consumer behavior during the pandemic through the lens of social cognitive theory (SCT). Using the SCT framework and assessing the pandemic as an environmental set, this study strives to fill the gaps in the underexplored impacts of the personal processes of consumer vulnerability, resilience, and adaptability on the behavioral processes of purchase satisfaction and repurchase. The research results show that consumers are self-efficacious to a degree when it comes to purchase decision making in the context of pandemics. Vulnerability and resilience directly influence the purchase satisfaction and indirectly influence the repurchase intention via satisfaction. Furthermore, purchase satisfaction positively affects the repurchase intention. In addition, research results show that consumer adaptability to online shopping moderates the relationship between consumer resilience and purchase satisfaction. These findings have practical implications in terms of marketers' communication strategy development.
103 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a meta-analysis integrating data of 196 effect sizes of 184 publications with a sample of 146,380 and reveal engagement through two pathways: organic pathway as relationship-oriented (perceived quality, perceived value and relationship quality) and promoted pathway as firm-initiated (functional and experiential initiatives).
Abstract: Customer engagement behaviour has emerged as an influential concept in marketing and refers to customers' behavioural manifestation towards a firm originating from motivational drivers. To provide a comprehensive and generalisable picture of this concept, this study provides a meta-analysis integrating data of 196 effect sizes of 184 publications with a sample of 146,380. The findings reveal engagement through two pathways: organic pathway as relationship-oriented (perceived quality, perceived value and relationship quality) and promoted pathway as firm-initiated (functional and experiential initiatives). Moderator analysis indicates that the influence of the two pathways on engagement depends on engagement context (online vs. offline), industry type (service vs. manufacturing) and product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian) and cultural context. Findings support attitudinal engagement–loyalty and behavioural engagement–firm performance linkage. Study results provide new insight into various engagement approaches and their relationship to each other. The authors offer recommendations to help marketers manage their customer engagement process more effectively.
101 citations
TL;DR: In this article, 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.
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.
TL;DR: This paper found that 55% of respondents were more concerned about food safety since the COVID-19 pandemic and 50% of consumers had become more price conscious when buying groceries, while a stronger shift was seen in attitudes towards policy, where a clear decline in support for tighter regulations or bans on single-use plastics and an increase in consumers' willingness to pay for biodegradable alternatives.
Abstract: While plastics play an important role in the safety, shelf-life, and affordability of many foods, their mismanagement as waste presents a serious environmental problem. In 2019, governments in Canada and globally were poised to take legislative action to curb the use of single-use plastics, with strong public support. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has since disrupted those initiatives as well as the public sentiment underlying them. The aim of our study is to measure changes in Canadian consumers' attitudes toward single-use plastic food packaging, from Summer 2019 to Summer 2020. The methodology relies on two, representative surveys of the Canadian population, carried out in May 2019 (n = 1,094) and in June 2020 (n = 977). Our measures explored potential impacts on consumer perceptions, driven both by new food safety concerns during the pandemic and also by increased price consciousness during a time of economic recession. We found that 55% of respondents were more concerned about food safety since COVID-19, and that 50% of respondents had become more price conscious when buying groceries. However, we found only a slight decline in motivation to reduce plastics - though with a sharper reduction among males. A stronger shift was seen in attitudes towards policy, where our results show a clear decline in support for tighter regulations or bans on single-use plastics, along with an increase in consumers' willingness to pay for biodegradable alternatives. These findings suggest a more difficult road ahead for legislative approaches, but also potential opportunities for market-based strategies and innovations in the food sector.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss four paradoxes of technology central to understanding the nexus between technology consumption and consumer vulnerability and propose a comprehensive research agenda and call for future research that could overcome the limitations of traditional research designs.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruptions in consumers' daily lives. Regulations imposing social distancing, quarantine and full-scale lockdowns have heightened the risks amongst vulnerable consumer groups such as the elderly and socially or financially disadvantaged. However, these restrictions have also caused transitory vulnerability in many people who are not considered vulnerable under normal circumstances. Digital technology has become central to almost every aspect of consumers' lives in response to restriction measures and in coping with pandemic-induced stress and anxiety. Technology-mediated consumption as a coping strategy amidst a crisis is an under-researched topic within the marketing literature. This paper discusses four paradoxes of technology central to understanding the nexus between technology consumption and consumer vulnerability. We propose a comprehensive research agenda and call for future research that could overcome the limitations of traditional research designs. Our work serves as a springboard for future scholarship and opens doors for other researchers to continue exploring this critical research area.
TL;DR: In this article, a longitudinal study adopts a future studies approach to expose consumers? current experiences, expectations of the future, and realized future experiences to understand a pandemic?s impact on consumers? collective shopping and spending behaviors.
Abstract: This research uncovers the impact of a multi-faceted crisis on consumers? immediate shopping behaviors, short-term financial spending, and long-term shopping and spending responses. This longitudinal study adopts a future studies approach to expose consumers? current experiences, expectations of the future, and realized future experiences to understand a pandemic?s impact on consumers? collective shopping and spending behaviors. Data were collected at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during its peak, and as restrictions were being lifted. Findings reveal that consumers adapt their shopping and spending behavior through a crisis in response to constantly shifting environmental stimuli. Consumers moved from fear to frugality and then followed one of two paths ? maintaining new crisis-induced behaviors or, more often, returning to prior familiar consumption behaviors. Retailers and service providers must understand these responses to be able to serve both groups during and after a crisis.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of mobile advertising literature in terms of theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodology to analyse the development of mobile ad research over time, showing that mobile advertising has transitioned from text message-based SMS advertisements into internet-based smartphone advertising.
Abstract: The purpose of this research is to review the extant literature on mobile advertising systematically and to carry out a comprehensive analysis of research in this emerging field. Accordingly, this paper synthesises the literature on mobile advertising in terms of theories, contexts, characteristics and methodology to analyse the development of mobile advertising research over time. The literature review shows that mobile advertising research has transitioned from text message-based SMS advertisements into internet-based smartphone advertising. Furthermore, based on the synthesis, we have developed a conceptual framework that shows the antecedents, mediators and consequences of mobile advertising. Additionally, we have identified some overlooked areas and proposed some insightful research directions to advance this field of research. This review contributes to the mobile marketing literature, specifically to the mobile advertising literature.
TL;DR: A systematic literature review of the state of the art in the field of voluntary simplicity (VS) can be found in this article, where the authors provide a categorization scheme of VS and analyses: the number of studies and year of publication; journals, number of citations and research areas; study location, definitions, types of studies; and research methods.
Abstract: Voluntary simplicity (VS) is a lifestyle focused on seeking a simple life by reducing consumption and other practices. This systematic literature review aims to analyse and critically discuss the state of the art of VS. This review provides a categorization scheme of VS and analyses: the number of studies and year of publication; journals, number of citations and research areas; study location; VS definitions; types of studies; and research methods. By providing a map of existing research, the paper contributes to the clarification of the VS construct and to the assessment, synthesis and identification of research gaps, and opportunities for further research. VS implications for theory, practice and policy are discussed within the context of consumption/anti‐consumption.