Changes in consumption patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analyzing the revenge spending motivations of different emotional groups

Pandemic‐led brand switch: Consumer stickiness for private‐label brands

The onset of COVID‐19 resulted in unprecedented shopping behavior, leading to product scarcity and empty store shelves, making consumers shift towards purchasing private‐label store brands. In this research, we aim to understand the role of the pandemic in influencing the preference for private‐label products. Using secondary data, we offer longitudinal evidence that although national and private‐label brand sales increased equally during the peak pandemic period, the growth rate for national brands subsided in the post‐pandemic years, but that of private‐label brands sustained its upward trend. Further, using experimental design, we test this phenomenon and find that greater availability of private‐label brands during the pandemic resulted in higher perceived brand‐helpfulness, which evoked brand attachment and persuaded the customers to continue repurchasing. Our research thus contributes by providing unique insights that can help brands strategize effectively and ensure continued brand attachment in the post‐pandemic period, and additionally, help brands retain customers and foster loyalty during crises.

How technical and situational cues affect impulse buying behavior in social commerce? Evidence from bored consumers

Introduction

With the rise of social media and web technologies, users are increasingly spending time on browsing and purchasing on social commerce, particularly during idle moments of casual scrolling. Social commerce applications with sophisticated social features and security measures may tend to attract a significant number of highly engaged users. The purpose of this study is to find out whether customers will be interested in the content posted on the applications and generate impulse consumption when they are bored.

Methods

Drawing on stimulus-organism-response framework, this paper explores how technical cues and situational cues affect impulse buying behavior in social commerce applications and the mediating impact of consumer-perceived values. Data were gathered from 395 respondents who frequently utilize and have shopping experience on social commerce applications. The PLS-SEM and fsQCA were applied to formulate and test the proposed hypotheses.

Results

The results of PLS-SEM reveal technical cues (ease of use, visual appeal and security) and situational cues (passing time and serendipity) positively influenced impulse buying. The results of fsQCA offer six solutions of different combinations of constructs which can lead to high impulse buying.

Discussion

These findings may extend existing research on impulse buying behavior and consumer psychology, offering valuable insights for marketers. They also point towards strategies for more effectively encouraging impulse purchase in digital retail environments, particularly among consumers who are browsing out of boredom.

Magnitude of digital adaptability role: Stakeholder engagement and costless signaling in enhancing sustainable MSME performance

This study investigates the relationship between stakeholder engagement, costless signaling, digital adaptability, and sustainable performance in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). A quantitative research approach was employed, collecting data through questionnaires from respondents who were owners or representatives of MSMEs. Statistical analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses. The findings revealed a significant positive impact of stakeholder engagement and costless signaling on sustainable performance in MSMEs. However, digital adaptability did not moderate the relationship between costless signaling and sustainable performance. The implications of this study suggest that MSMEs should prioritize stakeholder engagement and employ effective costless signaling strategies to enhance their sustainable performance. Support from the government and financial institutions is also crucial in facilitating these efforts. The study has limitations in terms of generalizability, and further research is needed with a broader scope and more in-depth methods to deepen the understanding of the influence of digital adaptability in the context of MSMEs.

Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on China's tourism economy and green finance efficiency

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, production costs have grown, while human and economic resources have been reduced. COVID-19 epidemic costs can be reduced by implementing green financial policies, including carbon pricing, transferable green certificates, and green credit. In addition, China's tourist industry is a significant source of revenue for the government. Coronavirus has been found in 30 Chinese regions, and a study is being conducted to determine its influence on the tourism business and green financial efficiency. Econometric strategies that are capable of dealing with the most complex issues are employed in this study. According to the GMM system, the breakout of Covid-19 had a negative effect on the tourism business and the efficiency of green financing. Aside from that, the effects of gross capital creation, infrastructural expansion, and renewable energy consumption are all good. The influence of per capita income on the tourism industry is beneficial but detrimental to the efficiency of green finance. Due to the current pandemic condition, this report presents a number of critical recommendations for boosting tourism and green financial efficiency.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Rising Inflation, and Their Influence on Dining Out Frequency and Spending

Background: High intake of food away from home is associated with poor diet quality. This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic period and Food Away from Home (FAFH) inflation rate fluctuations influenced dining out behaviors. Methods: Approximately 2800 individuals in Texas reported household weekly dining out frequency and spending. Responses completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2019 to early 2020) were compared to the post-COVID-19 period (2021 through mid-2022). Multivariate analysis with interaction terms was used to test study hypotheses. Results and Conclusion: From the COVID-19 period (before vs. after), the unadjusted frequency of dining out increased from 3.4 times per week to 3.5 times per week, while the amount spent on dining out increased from $63.90 to $82.20. Once the relationship between dining out (frequency and spending) was adjusted for FAFH interest rate and sociodemographic factors, an increase in dining out frequency post-COVID-19 remained significant. However, the unadjusted increase in dining out spending did not remain significant. Further research to understand the demand for dining out post-pandemic is warranted.

Exploring the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Americans time use related subjective wellbeing

In this study, the most recent American Time Use Surveys containing reported activity-based emotions and sensations information before (10,378 respondents in 2013) and during (6,902 respondents in 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic are used to assess if time use related individuals' subjective wellbeing (SWB) decreased in the pandemic. Given that the coronavirus has been shown to strongly influence activity decisions and social interactions, sequence analysis is applied to find daily time allocation patterns and changes in daily time allocation. Then, those derived daily patterns and other activity-travel factors, as well as social and demographic, temporal, spatial, and other contextual characteristics are added as explanatory variables in regression models of SWB measures. This provides a holistic framework of exploring the direct and indirect effects (via activity-travel schedules) of the recent pandemic on SWB while controlling for contexts such as the life assessments, daily schedule of activities, and living environment. The results show that respondents in the COVID year reported a new time allocation pattern that has a substantial amount of time at home, and they experienced more negative emotions. Three relatively happier daily patterns in 2021 contained substantial amounts of outdoor and indoor activities. In addition, no significant correlation was observed between metropolitan areas and individuals' SWB in 2021. However, comparisons among states show Texas and Florida residents experienced more positive wellbeing presumably due to fewer COVID-related restrictions.

Is Conspicuous Consumption Influenced by Cyber-Ostracism? A Moderated Mediation Model

This study starts from the cyber-ostracism experience that often occurs during social media use. Based on compensatory control theory, we explore the mechanism by which cyber-ostracism affects consumers' conspicuous consumption through the sense of control and also explore the moderating role of social media use intensity and implicit personality. This study used a sample of 407 social media users in China to verify the relationship between variables. The findings show that: there is a significant positive effect of cyber-ostracism on conspicuous consumption; sense of control plays a mediating role in the relationship between cyber-ostracism and conspicuous consumption; social media use intensity negatively moderates the relationship between cyber-ostracism and sense of control, and implicit personality moderates the relationship between sense of control and conspicuous consumption. The findings of the study help to reveal the formation mechanism of social media users' conspicuous consumption, which has important theoretical significance and practical value for establishing correct consumption concepts in the social media context.

Consumers’ coping strategies when they feel negative emotions in the face of forced deconsumption during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns

Introduction

This paper explores consumers’ coping strategies when they feel negative emotions due to forced deconsumption during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Methods

The tool used for data collection is the questionnaire. It was made using the LimeSurvey software. A total of 621 complete observations were analyzed.

Results

The findings demonstrate that anger positively influences the activation of seeking social support, mental disengagement, and confrontive coping strategies. Besides, disappointment activates mental disengagement but only marginally confrontive coping and not behavioral disengagement. Furthermore, regret is positively related to confrontive coping, behavioral disengagement, acceptance, and positive reinterpretation. Finally, worry positively impacts behavioral disengagement, self-control, seeking social support, mental disengagement, and planful problem-solving.

Discussion

The study’s originality lies in its investigation of consumers’ coping strategies when experiencing negative emotions due to forced deconsumption in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.