Seybold Report ISSN: 1533-9211
Timothy Oke
SRM institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, India
Dr. T. Ramachandran
SRM institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, India
Vol 17, No 10 ( 2022 ) | Licensing: CC 4.0 | Pg no:2199-2207 | Published on: 31-10-2022
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic was a global disaster during which normal life, movement and business have been disturbed due to lockdown and closing of shopping malls and business centers in the city. In addressing the difficulty experienced by consumers while observing Covid-19 pandemic protocols for the purpose of protecting themselves from contracting the virus, consumers adopted the use of online purchasing medium. The study was thus conducted using data collected from randomly 250 school teachers to estimate consumers’ preference for online purchasing mediums in the Covid-19 pandemic era. Findings showed that health concern (p≤0.01), product concern (p≤0.05), trust concern (p≤0.01) and place concern (p≤0.05) enhanced consumers’ preference for online purchasing medium in the Covid-19 pandemic era. Consumers will be willing to buy online in the virus era to protect themselves from the virus, when they are sure of a good quality product, when information supplied online is secured and when goods bought online are timely delivered. Based on the findings, online retail outlets should ensure the website is secured and good quality products are delivered timely as a means of reducing open market and mall population.
Keywords:
Covid-19 pandemic, consumers, preference, online purchasing, medium.