Online Consumer Behavior Influenced by Rising Prices and Shortage of Goods after COVID-19 and During Wartime

In recent years, technological development in the IT&C field led to the exponential increase in the number of mobile terminals such as smartphones, but also in the speed of data transmission, thus creating the premises for the intensification of online commerce. This research focuses on online consumer behavior influenced by a series of elements from the external environment such as rising prices and shortage of goods after COVID-19 and during wartime to see what changes have been in the consumer's decision-making process. The restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic generate the widespread adoption of online commerce where traditional companies have been forced to think in terms of "digital" and "online", to adapt their operating systems, and intensify their presence on the internet and social media channels. Also, the supply chain disruptions, the container crisis, and the rising prices for energy resources caused a shortage of goods and rising prices. The current global problems are becoming a challenge for both advertisers and consumers. These challenges are met by both parties, and they must adapt to these changes: the consumer to rethink his decision-making process when shopping, and advertisers to understand what influences the consumer in the online environment, to adapt and to be able to survive in this competitive context. The results showed that disruptive elements change this process almost completely and that consumer behavior adapts and changes when major phenomena such as those mentioned occur.