IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/tvecsg/v111y2020i3p574-583.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Changing Grocery Shopping Behaviours Among Chinese Consumers At The Outset Of The COVID‐19 Outbreak

Author

Listed:
  • Junxiong Li
  • Alan G. Hallsworth
  • J. Andres Coca‐Stefaniak

Abstract

This study focuses on the embryonic stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic in China, where most people affected opted to abide by the Chinese government’s national self‐quarantine campaign. This resulted in major disruptions to one of the most common market processes in retail: food retailing. The research adopts the theory of planned behaviour to provide early empirical insights into changes in consumer behaviour related to food purchases during the initial stages of the COVID‐19 outbreak in China. Data from the online survey carried out suggest that the outbreak triggered considerable levels of switching behaviours among customers, with farmers’ markets losing most of their customers, while local small independent retailers experienced the highest levels of resilience in terms of customer retention. This study suggests avenues for further scholarly research and policy making related to the impact this behaviour may be having around the world on society’s more vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly.

Suggested Citation

  • Junxiong Li & Alan G. Hallsworth & J. Andres Coca‐Stefaniak, 2020. "Changing Grocery Shopping Behaviours Among Chinese Consumers At The Outset Of The COVID‐19 Outbreak," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 111(3), pages 574-583, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:111:y:2020:i:3:p:574-583
    DOI: 10.1111/tesg.12420
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12420
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/tesg.12420?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Feng, Cong & Fay, Scott, 2020. "Store Closings and Retailer Profitability: A Contingency Perspective," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 411-433.
    2. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Woohyoung Kim & Alan George Hallsworth, 2016. "Tesco in Korea: Regulation and Retail Change," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 107(3), pages 270-281, July.
    4. Hsiao-I Kuo & Chia-Lin Chang & Bing-Wen Huang & Chi-Chung Chen & Michael McAleer, 2009. "Estimating the Impact of Avian Flu on International Tourism Demand Using Panel Data," Tourism Economics, , vol. 15(3), pages 501-511, September.
    5. Elms, Jonathan & de Kervenoael, Ronan & Hallsworth, Alan, 2016. "Internet or store? An ethnographic study of consumers' internet and store-based grocery shopping practices," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 234-243.
    6. Wance Tacconelli & Neil Wrigley, 2009. "Organizational Challenges and Strategic Responses of Retail TNCs in Post-WTO-Entry China," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 85(1), pages 49-73, January.
    7. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    8. Oke, Adegoke & Gopalakrishnan, Mohan, 2009. "Managing disruptions in supply chains: A case study of a retail supply chain," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 168-174, March.
    9. Evans, Olaniyi, 2020. "Socio-economic impacts of novel coronavirus: The policy solutions," BizEcons Quarterly, Strides Educational Foundation, vol. 7, pages 3-12.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Economics of Welfare > Health Economics > Economics of Pandemics > Specific pandemics > Covid-19 > Economic consequences > Consumption

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Michael D. Clemes & Kathryn Bicknell & Xuedong Li & Nicole Long, 2021. "Clicks or Bricks? Online Shopping Adoption in Australia," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(4), pages 78-103, December.
    2. Ping He & Yu Gao & Longfei Guo & Tongtong Huo & Yuxin Li & Xingren Zhang & Yunfeng Li & Cheng Peng & Fanyun Meng, 2021. "Evaluating the Disaster Risk of the COVID-19 Pandemic Using an Ecological Niche Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-23, October.
    3. Beckers, Joris & Weekx, Simon & Beutels, Philippe & Verhetsel, Ann, 2021. "COVID-19 and retail: The catalyst for e-commerce in Belgium?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    4. Feng‐An Yang & Hung‐Hao Chang & Jiun‐Hao Wang, 2022. "The economic impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the Taiwanese food industry: Empirical evidence using business transaction data," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(2), pages 376-395, June.
    5. Szász, Levente & Bálint, Csaba & Csíki, Ottó & Nagy, Bálint Zsolt & Rácz, Béla-Gergely & Csala, Dénes & Harris, Lloyd C., 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 on the evolution of online retail: The pandemic as a window of opportunity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Rihn, Alicia L. & Jensen, Kimberly & Hughes, David W., 2022. "Tennessee's Wine Industry: Consumer Perceptions, Quality Assurance Programs and Marketing Strategies," Extension Reports 319853, University of Tennessee, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    7. Valeria Borsellino & Sina Ahmadi Kaliji & Emanuele Schimmenti, 2020. "COVID-19 Drives Consumer Behaviour and Agro-Food Markets towards Healthier and More Sustainable Patterns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-26, October.
    8. Ellen Van Droogenbroeck & Léon Van Hove, 2021. "Adoption and usage of E-grocery shopping: A context-specific UTAUT2 model," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/324918, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    9. Maria-Magdalena Roșu & Rodica Ianole-Călin & Raluca Dinescu & Anca Bratu & Răzvan-Mihail Papuc & Anastasia Cosma, 2021. "Understanding Consumer Stockpiling during the COVID-19 Outbreak through the Theory of Planned Behavior," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(16), pages 1-15, August.
    10. Eulalia Skawińska & Romuald I. Zalewski & Joanna Wyrwa, 2023. "Students’ Food Consumption Behavior during COVID-19 Lockdown," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-28, June.
    11. Fabien Eymas & Faouzi Bensebaa, 2021. "Competitive strategies of small independent retailers," Post-Print hal-03179166, HAL.
    12. Ellen Van Droogenbroeck & Leo Van Hove, 2021. "Adoption and Usage of E-Grocery Shopping: A Context-Specific UTAUT2 Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-27, April.
    13. Budziński, Wiktor & Daziano, Ricardo, 2023. "Preferences for online grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic — the role of fear-related attitudes," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    14. Mirza Marvel Cequea & Jessika Milagros Vásquez Neyra & Valentina Gomes Haensel Schmitt & Marcos Ferasso, 2021. "Household Food Consumption and Wastage during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Comparison between Peru and Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-22, July.
    15. Bargoni, Augusto & Giachino, Chiara & Troise, Ciro & Alam, Gazi Mahabubul & Quaglia, Roberto, 2023. "A digital family affair: Do family firms' characteristics enhance consumers' willingness to pay?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    16. Alaimo, Leonardo Salvatore & Fiore, Mariantonietta & Galati, Antonino, 2022. "Measuring consumers’ level of satisfaction for online food shopping during COVID-19 in Italy using POSETs," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    17. Dezie Leonarda Warganegara & Roozbeh Babolian Hendijani, 2022. "Factors That Drive Actual Purchasing of Groceries through E-Commerce Platforms during COVID-19 in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, March.
    18. Lidia Alexa & Andreea Apetrei & Juan Sapena, 2021. "The COVID-19 Lockdown Effect on the Intention to Purchase Sustainable Brands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-16, March.
    19. Cruz-Cárdenas, Jorge & Zabelina, Ekaterina & Guadalupe-Lanas, Jorge & Palacio-Fierro, Andrés & Ramos-Galarza, Carlos, 2021. "COVID-19, consumer behavior, technology, and society: A literature review and bibliometric analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fayolle, Alain & Liñán, Francisco, 2014. "The future of research on entrepreneurial intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 663-666.
    2. Fox, Stephen & Groesser, Stefan N., 2016. "Reframing the relevance of research to practice," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 457-465.
    3. Christopher M. Weible & Tanya Heikkila, 2017. "Policy Conflict Framework," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 50(1), pages 23-40, March.
    4. Patrick Krieger & Carsten Lausberg, 2021. "Entscheidungen, Entscheidungsfindung und Entscheidungsunterstützung in der Immobilienwirtschaft: Eine systematische Literaturübersicht [Decisions, decision-making and decisions support systems in r," Zeitschrift für Immobilienökonomie (German Journal of Real Estate Research), Springer;Gesellschaft für Immobilienwirtschaftliche Forschung e. V., vol. 7(1), pages 1-33, April.
    5. Jaeyeob Jeong & Myeonggil Choi, 2017. "The Expected Job Satisfaction Affecting Entrepreneurial Intention as Career Choice in the Cultural and Artistic Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-16, September.
    6. Petschnig, Martin & Heidenreich, Sven & Spieth, Patrick, 2014. "Innovative alternatives take action – Investigating determinants of alternative fuel vehicle adoption," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 68-83.
    7. Dan K. Hsu & Johan Wiklund & Richard D. Cotton, 2017. "Success, Failure, and Entrepreneurial Reentry: An Experimental Assessment of the Veracity of Self–Efficacy and Prospect Theory," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(1), pages 19-47, January.
    8. van Wee, Bert & Witlox, Frank, 2021. "COVID-19 and its long-term effects on activity participation and travel behaviour: A multiperspective view," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    9. Daniel V. Holland & Dean A. Shepherd, 2013. "Deciding to Persist: Adversity, Values, and Entrepreneurs’ Decision Policies," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(2), pages 331-358, March.
    10. Helena Hansson & Carl Johan Lagerkvist, 2014. "Decision Making for Animal Health and Welfare: Integrating Risk‐Benefit Analysis with Prospect Theory," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(6), pages 1149-1159, June.
    11. Michel Borgh & Jeroen Schepers, 2018. "Are conservative approaches to new product selling a blessing in disguise?," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 857-878, September.
    12. Simon J. D. Schillebeeckx & Sankalp Chaturvedi & Gerard George & Zella King, 2016. "What do i want? The effects of individual aspiration and relational capability on collaboration preferences," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1493-1506, July.
    13. Bacile, Todd J. & Ye, Christine & Swilley, Esther, 2014. "From Firm-Controlled to Consumer-Contributed: Consumer Co-Production of Personal Media Marketing Communication," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 117-133.
    14. Rachel Croson & Nicolas Treich, 2014. "Behavioral Environmental Economics: Promises and Challenges," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 58(3), pages 335-351, July.
    15. Maresch, Daniela & Harms, Rainer & Kailer, Norbert & Wimmer-Wurm, Birgit, 2016. "The impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial intention of students in science and engineering versus business studies university programs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 172-179.
    16. Zamri Ahmad & Haslindar Ibrahim & Jasman Tuyon, 2017. "Institutional investor behavioral biases: syntheses of theory and evidence," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 40(5), pages 578-603, May.
    17. Oesterreich, Thuy Duong & Teuteberg, Frank, 2019. "Behind the scenes: Understanding the socio-technical barriers to BIM adoption through the theoretical lens of information systems research," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 413-431.
    18. Siqi Dai & Kai Chen & Rui Jin, 2022. "The effect of message framing and language intensity on green consumption behavior willingness," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 2432-2452, February.
    19. Arnstein Aassve & Alice Goisis & Maria Sironi, 2012. "Happiness and Childbearing Across Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(1), pages 65-86, August.
    20. Hong, Areum & Nam, Changi & Kim, Seongcheol, 2020. "What will be the possible barriers to consumers’ adoption of smart home services?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:111:y:2020:i:3:p:574-583. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0040-747X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.