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Impact Of The Work Model On Food Consumer Behaviour During The Covid -19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Zeljka Mesic

    (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture)

  • Marija Mavracic

    (Graduate Study Agribusiness and Rural Development, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture)

  • Lucija Blaskovic

    (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture)

  • Marina Tomic Maksan

    (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of people's lives around the world. Restrictions on movement and social distancing have influenced consumer behavior and the emergence of various consumer trends, one of the most important of which is working from home. The main objectives of this study are (1) to identify changes in consumer behaviour in the purchase, preparation and consumption of food during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) to investigate the impact of the work model on food consumer behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted among a convenient sample of 625 respondents in the Republic of Croatia. The food categories in which consumption increased the most were flour, vegetables, and fruits, while the greatest decrease was in alcoholic beverages and in the category of sweets and salty snacks. The study confirms that work model during the COVID -19 pandemic influenced some aspects of food consumer behavior. Consumers who worked from home were more inclined to go to the grocery store less often, they tended to make more planned purchases, buy larger quantities of food and stocked up on food; they also placed more importance on the time available for food preparation compared to consumers who worked in the office. The findings suggest that uncertainty and exposure to risk have shaped the way consumers buy food, prepare, and consume food, but only with time will we be able to determine which changes in consumers are temporary and which persist over the long term.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeljka Mesic & Marija Mavracic & Lucija Blaskovic & Marina Tomic Maksan, 2024. "Impact Of The Work Model On Food Consumer Behaviour During The Covid -19 Pandemic," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 33(1), pages 177-196, june.
    • Handle: RePEc:avo:emipdu:v:33:y:2024:i:1:p:177-196
    DOI: 10.17818/EMIP/2024/1.9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Erpeng Wang & Ning An & Zhifeng Gao & Emmanuel Kiprop & Xianhui Geng, 2020. "Consumer food stockpiling behavior and willingness to pay for food reserves in COVID-19," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(4), pages 739-747, August.
    2. Brandon J. Restrepo & Eliana Zeballos, 2020. "The effect of working from home on major time allocations with a focus on food-related activities," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1165-1187, December.
    3. Máximo Torero, 2020. "Without food, there can be no exit from the pandemic," Nature, Nature, vol. 580(7805), pages 588-589, April.
    4. Kirk, Colleen P. & Rifkin, Laura S., 2020. "I'll trade you diamonds for toilet paper: Consumer reacting, coping and adapting behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 124-131.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid-19 pandemic; work model; food; consumer behaviour;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L66 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Food; Beverages; Cosmetics; Tobacco
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing

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