IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i12p4996-d1413002.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysis of Changes in In-Store and Online Shopping Frequencies Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Bahrain

Author

Listed:
  • Eman A. Algherbal

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Built Environment, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hussam I. Hijazi

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Built Environment, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hassan M. Al-Ahmadi

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Built Environment, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
    Interdisciplinary Research Center for Smart Mobility and Logistics (IRC-SML), King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

  • Muhammad Abdullah

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Built Environment, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
    Interdisciplinary Research Center for Smart Mobility and Logistics (IRC-SML), King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Online shopping (e-shopping) has been growing steadily in recent years; however, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sudden increase in this growth. This study compares the in-store shopping and e-shopping frequencies within three distinct periods, i.e., before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It further investigates the frequencies and determinants of e-shopping across the three periods. The data on the in-store shopping and e-shopping frequencies for four different product categories, i.e., grocery, household essentials, electronics, and clothes, were collected through an online questionnaire in Bahrain, resulting in a total of 401 valid responses. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to compare the frequencies of in-store shopping and e-shopping within the three periods as well as the frequencies of e-shopping across the three periods. The effects of the determinants of e-shopping were evaluated using chi-square tests. The results revealed that e-shopping experienced a temporary surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, returning to pre-pandemic levels afterward. The frequency of e-shopping varied across product categories and periods, and e-shopping during the pandemic was higher than before. However, no significant difference was found between the periods during and after the pandemic. This study provides insights for urban and transport planners regarding the frequencies and determinants of e-shopping behavior in the context of pandemics.

Suggested Citation

  • Eman A. Algherbal & Hussam I. Hijazi & Hassan M. Al-Ahmadi & Muhammad Abdullah, 2024. "Analysis of Changes in In-Store and Online Shopping Frequencies Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Bahrain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-17, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:4996-:d:1413002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/12/4996/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/12/4996/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yu Ding & Huapu Lu, 2017. "The interactions between online shopping and personal activity travel behavior: an analysis with a GPS-based activity travel diary," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 311-324, March.
    2. Wadud, Zia & Chen, Danlei, 2018. "Congestion impacts of shopping using vehicle tracking data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 123-130.
    3. Lee, Richard J. & Sener, Ipek N. & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Handy, Susan L., 2017. "Relationships between the online and in-store shopping frequency of Davis, California residents," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 40-52.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Shi, Kunbo & De Vos, Jonas & Cheng, Long & Yang, Yongchun & Witlox, Frank, 2021. "The influence of the built environment on online purchases of intangible services: Examining the mediating role of online purchase attitudes," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 116-126.
    2. Limon Barua & Bo Zou & Yan Zhou & Yulin Liu, 2023. "Modeling household online shopping demand in the U.S.: a machine learning approach and comparative investigation between 2009 and 2017," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 437-476, April.
    3. Cano-Leiva, José & Gomez, Juan & Alves, Guilherme F. & Manuel Vassallo, José, 2024. "How has COVID-19 changed individuals’ e-commerce and shopping mobility habits? Evidence from Madrid Region," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    4. Lavieri, Patrícia S. & Dai, Qichun & Bhat, Chandra R., 2018. "Using virtual accessibility and physical accessibility as joint predictors of activity-travel behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 527-544.
    5. Li, Shengxiao (Alex), 2023. "Revisiting the relationship between information and communication technologies and travel behavior: An investigation of older Americans," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    6. Arranz-López, Aldo & Blitz, Andreas & Elizondo-Candanedo, Raúl F. & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2024. "The connections between e-shopping and sustainable transport choices – Comparing urban and rural environments," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    7. Shi, Kunbo & De Vos, Jonas & Yang, Yongchun & Witlox, Frank, 2019. "Does e-shopping replace shopping trips? Empirical evidence from Chengdu, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 21-33.
    8. Mateos-Mínguez, Paloma & Arranz-López, Aldo & Soria-Lara, Julio A. & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2021. "E-shoppers and multimodal accessibility to in-store retail: An analysis of spatial and social effects," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    9. Xu, Lu & Saphores, Jean-Daniel, 2024. "Does e-shopping impact household travel? Evidence from the 2017 U.S. NHTS," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    10. Elizondo-Candanedo, Raúl F. & Arranz-López, Aldo & Acker, Veronique Van & Grant-Muller, Susan & Dijst, Martin, 2025. "Exploring in-store and e-shopping against disruptive events: A cross-lagged panel SEM," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    11. Shah, Harsh & Carrel, Andre L. & Le, Huyen T.K., 2021. "What is your shopping travel style? Heterogeneity in US households’ online shopping and travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 83-98.
    12. Samani, Ali Riahi & Talebian, Ahmadreza & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Golias, Mihalis, 2025. "Evaluating consumer shopping, delivery demands, and last-mile preferences: An integrated MDCEV-HCM approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    13. Wang, Kaili & Gao, Ya & Nurul Habib, Khandker, 2024. "Modelling household online shopping and home delivery demand using latent class & ordinal generalized extreme value (GEV) models," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    14. Gardrat, Mathieu, 2021. "Urban growth and freight transport: From sprawl to distension," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    15. Kunbo Shi & Long Cheng & Jonas De Vos & Yongchun Yang & Wanpeng Cao & Frank Witlox, 2021. "How does purchasing intangible services online influence the travel to consume these services? A focus on a Chinese context," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 2605-2625, October.
    16. Shulin Wang & Shanhua Wu, 2023. "Optimizing the Location of Virtual-Shopping-Experience Stores Based on the Minimum Impact on Urban Traffic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-25, June.
    17. Kim, Woojung & Wang, Xiaokun Cara, 2022. "The adoption of alternative delivery locations in New York City: Who and how far?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 127-140.
    18. Buraj Patrakosol, 2024. "Diminishing role of regional uniqueness in preference to shop online amid COVID-19: a longitudinal analysis," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 18(1), pages 29-51, March.
    19. Park, Chulwoong & Kim, Youngchul, 2024. "Digitally accessible space: Discovery of the distinctive locational characteristics of restaurants with online reservation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    20. Brand, Christian & Schwanen, Tim & Anable, Jillian, 2020. "‘Online Omnivores’ or ‘Willing but struggling’? Identifying online grocery shopping behavior segments using attitude theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:4996-:d:1413002. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.