Calm after the storm? Explaining store repatronage intention in modern and traditional retail formats during and after the health emergency

The health emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic changed certain behaviors of individuals, such as customers' purchasing behavior. According to the World Health Organization, the health emergency ended in May 2023. Despite returning to normal times and consumers returning to old habits, recent literature does not present convincing evidence regarding the form, intensity, and impact those changes have had on consumer behavior in the retail sector or if those will be modified by new regulations and procedures in how consumers shop. This topic is even less researched in developing countries where the retail sector is fragmented into modern versus traditional retail formats, each with its very differentiated value proposition and own loyal consumers. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, a model is proposed to predict repatronage intention for modern and traditional stores both during and after the health emergency to compare and contrast this intention using two surveys for both retail formats – the first one launched amid the pandemic and the second one after May 2023. Differences and similarities are analyzed to provide retail managers with insights to help them adapt their business models to consumer behaviors and health crises.