Journal Press India^®

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions globally, impacting both personal lives and economies. Amidst lockdowns, social distancing, and other containment measures, consumer behaviour, particularly shopping, has notably transformed. This study examines the impact of the pandemic on online shopping preferences and behaviours among Indian consumers. A comprehensive survey revealed that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online shopping in India, with consumers increasingly purchasing a wider range of products online. This shift is driven by the convenience and safety that online shopping offers during the pandemic, despite rising concerns about online fraud. While some consumers express nostalgia for in-store shopping, the majority intend to maintain their online shopping habits post-pandemic. These insights are crucial for e-commerce companies and policymakers, highlighting the need to support this behavioural shift as India moves towards a more digitally integrated economy.

Keywords

COVID-19, Online shopping, Consumer behaviour, India, Digital economy

1. Baker, S. R., Farrokhnia, R. A., Meyer, S., Pagel, M., & Yannelis, C. (2020). How does household spending respond to an epidemic? Consumption during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3386/ w26949
2. Bhat, M., Qadri, M., Beg, N. ul A., Kundroo, M., Ahanger, N., & Agarwal, B. (2020). Sentiment Analysis of Social Media Response on the Covid-19 Outbreak. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 87, 136–137. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BBI.2020.05.006
3. Chiu, W., Oh, G. E., & Cho, H. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ impulse buying behavior of fitness products: A moderated mediation model. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(2), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1002/CB.1998
4. Cucinotta, D., & Vanelli, M. (2020). WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. Acta Bio-Medica : Atenei Parmensis, 91(1), 157–160. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.23750/AB M.V91I1.9397
5. Dannenberg, P., Fuchs, M., Riedler, T., & Wiedemann, C. (2020). Digital transition by COVID-19 pandemic? The German food online retail. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 111(3), 543-560. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/TESG.12453
6. Das, D., Sarkar, A., & Debroy, A.  (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on changing consumer behaviour: Lessons from an emerging economy. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(3), 692. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/IJCS.12786
7. Donthu, N., & Gustafsson, A. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 284–289. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2 020.06.008
8. Grewal, D., Roggeveen, A. L., & Nordfält, J. (2017). The future of retailing. Journal of Retailing, 93(1), 1–6. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JRETAI.2016.12.008
9. Gulfraz, M. B., Sufyan, M., Mustak, M., Salminen, J., & Srivastava, D. K. (2022). Understanding the impact of online customers’ shopping experience on online impulsive buying: A study on two leading E-commerce platforms. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 68, 103000. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JRETCONSER.2022.103000
10. Iglesias, O., Markovic, S., Bagherzadeh, M., & Singh, J. J. (2020). Co-creation: A key link between corporate social responsibility, customer trust, and customer loyalty. Journal of Business Ethics, 163(1), 151-166. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4015-y
11. Li, S., Wang, Y., Xue, J., Zhao, N., & Zhu, T. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 epidemic declaration on psychological consequences: A study on active Weibo users. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), 2032.
12. McKinsey & Company. (2020). Beyond coronavirus: The path to the next normal. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/beyond-coronavirus-the-path-to-the-next-normal
13. McKinsey & Company. (2022). The consumer demand recovery and lasting effects of COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-consumer-demand-recovery-and-lasting-effects-of-covid-19
14. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). (2020). India’s trillion-dollar digital opportunity. Retrieved from https://meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/india_trillion-dollar_digital_opportunity.pdf
15. Modgil, S., Dwivedi, Y. K., Rana, N. P., Gupta, S., & Kamble, S. (2022). Has COVID-19 accelerated opportunities for digital entrepreneurship? An Indian perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 175, 121415. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016 /J.TECHFORE.2021.121415
16. Pantano, E., Pizzi, G., Scarpi, D., & Dennis, C. (2020). Competing during a pandemic? Retailers’ ups and downs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Journal of Business Research, 116, 209–213. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2020.05.036
17. Queiroz, M. M., Ivanov, D., Dolgui, A., & Fosso Wamba, S. (2020). Impacts of epidemic outbreaks on supply chains: Mapping a research agenda amid the COVID-19 pandemic through a structured literature review. Annals of Operations Research, 1-38. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-020-03685-7
18. Rahmani, V., & Kordrostami, E. (2023). Price sensitivity and online shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 40(4), 481–492. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-07-2021-4777
19. RedSeer. (2020). E-commerce story unfolding “From online view to online buy.” Retrieved from https://redseer.com/insights/reports/
20. Roggeveen, A. L., & Sethuraman, R. (2020). How the COVID-19 pandemic may change the world of retailing. Journal of Retailing, 96(2), 169. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/ J.JRETAI.2020.04.002
21. Sarkis, J. (2020). Supply chain sustainability: learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 40(1), 63–73. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-08-2020-0568
22. Sharma, A., Adhikary, A., & Borah, S. B. (2020). COVID-19’s impact on supply chain decisions: Strategic insights from NASDAQ 100 firms using Twitter data. Journal of Business Research, 117, 443-449. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.035
23. Sheth, J. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior: Will the old habits return or die? Journal of Business Research, 117, 280-283. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016 /j.jbusres.2020.05.059
24. Singh, S. (2010). Digital divide in India. International Journal of Innovation in the Digital Economy, 1(2), 1–24. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.4018/JIDE.2010040101
25. Sinha, P. K. (2020). E-commerce cos optimistic about festive season sales. LiveMint. Retrieved from https://www.livemint.com/news/india/e-commerce-cos-optimistic-about-festive-season-sales-11598047487063.html
26. Sneader, K., & Singhal, S. (2021). The next normal arrives: Trends that will define 2021—and beyond. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/the-next-normal-arrives-trends-that-will-define-2021-and-beyond
27. Sombultawee, P., & Boonlue, S. (2021). Factors affecting online shopping decision during the COVID-19 pandemic: A conjoint analysis study. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, 15(4), 177-188.
28. Subrahmanyan, S., & Gomez-Arias, J. T. (2008). Integrated approach to understanding consumer behavior at bottom of pyramid. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25(7), 402–412. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760810915617/FULL/XML
29. UNCTAD. (2021). COVID-19 and e-commerce: a global review. Retrieved from https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/dtlstict2020d13_en_0.pdf
30. WHO. (2020). COVID‑19 strategy update. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/ publications/i/item/covid-19-strategy-update---14-april-2020
31. World Economic Forum. (2019). Future of Consumption in Fast-Growth Consumer Markets: INDIA. Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Consumption_Fast-Growth_Consumers_markets_India_report_2018.pdf